Muhyiddin says agreement to support Anwar on key parliamentary votes unrelated to Melaka polls

KUALA LUMPUR: An agreement by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and other lawmakers to support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government on key parliamentary votes does not signal an electoral alliance between Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming Melaka state election, Muhyiddin said. 

“That is a separate question. That has nothing to do with (the agreement) here,” Muhyiddin, a former prime minister, was quoted as saying by local news platform Free Malaysia Today after the signing of the agreement in parliament on Thursday (Oct 29).

Six Bersatu lawmakers alongside Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is from the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), had signed the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA), committing to support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, where PH is the largest coalition, through to the end of the current parliamentary term. 

They were Muhyiddin, Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin, Saratok MP Ali Biju, Langkawi MP Suhaimi Abdullah, Merbok MP Nazri Abu Hassan and Padang Serai MP Azman Nasrudin. 

Besides Syed Saddiq, six other independent MPs who had previously declared their support for Anwar’s unity government also signed the agreement.

They are Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Kuala Kangsar MP Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim and Tanjung Karang MP Zulkafperi Hanapi. 

The agreement was facilitated by Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, according to local news platform The Star. 

A CSA is a political pact where opposition MPs agree to back the government in key parliamentary votes, such as budgets and confidence motions, without formally joining the ruling coalition.  

In Sep 2021, former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also signed a CSA with PH. 

This time, the lawmakers called for a two-term limit on the prime minister’s tenure and the separation of the attorney-general and public prosecutor’s roles before the current administration's mandate expires.

Additionally, they demanded equal constituency development funding matching the allocations currently granted to government backbenchers.

Muhyiddin emphasised that Bersatu would remain in opposition to provide effective checks and balances despite the agreement. He added that while the CSA is expected to remain in force until parliament is dissolved, the pact could be terminated if either party fails to honour its commitments.