Azis Jamman (Warisan- Sepanggar ) said the opposition previously labelled the Perikatan Nasional administration a backdoor government, in alluding to the manner in which it came to power.
“Now the rakyat is asking whether with the MoU, we are indirectly recognising a government that stole the people’s mandate,” he said when debating the King’s address at the Dewan Rakyat.
The MoU signed last week is aimed at bringing about political stability to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and reviving the country’s economy.
Azis’ statement comes a day after Warisan president Shafie Apdal said there was no need for an MoU just to carry out reforms, adding there “should not be a prerequisite for helping people everywhere in Malaysia”.
Shafie said this after several politicians, including DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and Umno vice-president Mahdzir Khalid, urged opposition parties like Pejuang, Warisan and Muda to sign the MoU.
Azis also said that it would be flawed to claim that Warisan was against Undi18, which seeks to lower the minimum voting age to 18.
He said that when the amendment was passed in the Dewan Rakyat under the Pakatan Harapan administration, Sabah was the first state to pass a bill to amend its constitution to lower the voting age.
“So, to claim that Warisan does not support reforms, especially when it comes to Undi18, is untrue.”
Azis reiterated that the Sabah-based party was not involved in the MoU and said it could be because it was not part of Pakatan Harapan.
The party however had no reservations on backing the reforms in the MoU if they benefited the people, he said.
‘Are we second-class citizens’
Meanwhile, Isnaraissah Munirah Majlis (Warisan-Kota Belud) expressed frustration that Sabah was still treated as second class by Putrajaya despite being part of Malaysia for 58 years.
She said she had been asking the federal government to upgrade roads, schools, and hire more health experts for the state but it has all fallen on dear ears.
She listed several roads that were supposed to be upgraded but nothing had been done even though allocations had been approved. She said rural areas were sidelined.
“There are electricity and water cuts, no jobs, and schools need to be upgraded,” she said, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic had shown the gap in health facilities between Sabah and Sarawak and the peninsula.
“How long do we have to keep asking for new hospitals? When will our health clinics be upgraded?
“Are we second-class citizens?” she asked in the Dewan Rakyat.
Sabah, Sarawak and Kelantan were also among the poorest states in Malaysia, she said, adding, “If nothing is done, we will continue to be poor.”