As the MoU was only a draft, Fadillah said he had hoped that Perikatan Nasional would provide specific objections and counter-proposals to facilitate further discussions.

“Nevertheless, I respect their views and will wait for a formal written response from them,” he told reporters after an event in Betong, Sarawak, today.

“Once that is received, I will bring the matter to the unity government’s consultative council committee level for further discussions.”

Fadillah said it remained unclear whether the rejection by PN MPs was final as media reports suggested they disagreed with all the terms and conditions of the draft MoU.

“If that is the case, I am uncertain about their position on whether they wish to continue with the negotiations or not,” he said.

“Regardless, I will inform the unity government secretariat and seek their assistance in evaluating any feedback from the opposition and decide if we want to continue (negotiations) or make any changes.”

Earlier today, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin said Perikatan Nasional MPs had unanimously rejected the draft MoU on constituency allocations for opposition MPs.

Hamzah gave four fundamental reasons for rejecting the MoU, claiming it went against the Federal Constitution with conditions that touched on the special position of the Malays and Bumiputeras.

He also said the MoU conflicted with cultural and religious values, lacked clear mechanisms and included elements perceived as restricting MPs’ freedom of speech.