KOTA KINABALU: A political analyst says Warisan’s credibility is unaffected despite its MPs deciding to be absent during bloc votes to pass budget allocations for several ministries.
Tony Paridi Bagang of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) said he believed that Warisan’s actions were in favour of prioritising the people’s welfare, particularly Sabahans.
He told FMT that a credible opposition does not oppose a motion without reason, but acts in a constructive and progressive manner in prioritising the people’s interests.
“What we can interpret from Warisan’s action and stand is that it’s a safe action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) Lee Kuok Tiung said Warisan’s credibility will be judged by the people based on what the party chooses to support and reject.
He echoed Bagang in saying an opposition party should not be rejecting every single thing tabled by the government, telling FMT that Warisan needed to choose what to support and oppose.
“Previously, the current government MPs who used to be in the opposition had also supported the motion to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.
“But we also saw them voting against the bill that was said to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with the peninsula,” he told FMT, referring to the constitutional amendment on the status of Sabah and Sarawak tabled by the Pakatan Harapan government last year.
Yesterday, the opposition failed at two attempts at bloc votes to reject allocations under the 2021 budget for the Prime Minister’s Department and finance ministry. Only 95 MPs voted against on both occasions.
Today, allocations for the plantation industries and commodities ministry was also passed through a bloc vote, with only 95 MPs opposing again.
The government’s victory over the opposition in all three bloc votes was by a margin of between 10 and 13 votes.
It is understood that all eight Warisan MPs were absent yesterday and today.
They are party president Shafie Apdal (Semporna), Darell Leiking (Penampang), Rozman Isli (Labuan), Isnaraissah Munirah Fakharudy (Kota Belud), Azis Jamman (Sepanggar), Ma’mun Sulaiman (Kalabakan), Ahmad Hassan (Papar) and Mohamaddin Ketapi (Lahad Datu).
Yesterday, Rozman acknowledged that the absence by Warisan MPs was a deliberate move to show the party’s displeasure with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. He added that Warisan intended to sit out during bloc votes on the budget indefinitely.