The senior Johor PKR leader said the move was akin to sounding the death knell for parliamentary rights and privileges of a representative elected by the rakyat who do not expect their MPs to be told what to do in Parliament.
Hassan said as much as he disagreed with the clause, he would vote for the prime minister in the confidence vote to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow.
He said this was because Anwar was not only an old friend and comrade-in-arms during their struggle for reforms, but he also had confidence in him to bring political and economic stability to the country.
“The point I am making is that I will vote in the Dewan Rakyat according to my conscience on all matters. Prohibiting me from deciding what is best for the rakyat is a basic violation (of my rights).
“As for the confidence vote, I will vote in favour of Anwar as he is the best man for the job,” he told FMT.
On Friday, the leaders of five political coalitions signed the MoU stating their support for the unity government led by Anwar.
Anwar had said he would test his “majority support” in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow through a vote of confidence.
One of the clauses stipulates that MPs who fail to toe the line as set by their parties and instead vote against the prime minister or the government would be deemed to have resigned as MPs.
It added that the MP’s seat would then be considered as being vacated under Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution.
Hassan, who penned a lengthy poem on Facebook yesterday about how the MoU is killing democracy, clarified that in the future whatever votes he cast would be based according to his conscience, taking the rakyat’s interests into account at all times.
The lawyer, who started his political career with Parti Rakyat Malaysia, said he joined PKR after the sacking of Anwar as deputy prime minister by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 to reform the country’s politics, which he considered to be authoritarian in nature.
“This is why I am against the MoU as it seems authoritarian in nature. It curtails the freedom of choice as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
“I am against any move which appears to be taking several steps backwards in parliamentary democracy,” he said.