KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) victory in the upcoming Pulai parliamentary by-election would deny the unity government of a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, barring it from easily amending the constitution, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin, who is PN chairman, said a win for PN in the seat holds significant implications for safeguarding against arbitrary constitutional amendments, particularly related to the potential redelineation of constituencies.
“At the heart of the matter is the possible re-delineation of electoral areas during this term. The government wants a two-thirds majority because without it, they can’t change the federal constitution,” he noted during a dialogue with Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Kempas, here, yesterday evening.
“But if they do have that majority and everyone in parliament supports the PH, they can easily execute this plan and make it happen.
Muhyiddin, who is Pagoh MP, expressed concern that such changes to constituencies might not benefit Malay voters and could negatively affect their future.
“If they (government) plan to do something that does not benefit the voters, especially the Malays, then it will have a bad effect on the future of the Malays.”
Currently, the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, commands 148 out of the total 222 seats in Parliament, including the Pulai parliamentary seat.
Muhyiddin stressed that a PN win on September 9 would deny this two-thirds majority, impacting constitutional amendments significantly.
Muhyiddin conveyed confidence in PN’s election machinery, highlighting the smooth operation for both the Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state assembly by-elections.
He was also confident of continued voter support for PN candidates, Zulkifli Jaafar in Pulai and Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya in Simpang Jeram.
In a separate part of his speech, Muhyiddin explained the government’s desire for a two-thirds majority, emphasising its importance for effective governance and agenda implementation.
He pointed out potential changes to electoral boundaries and an increase in parliamentary seats, addressing concerns about possible gerrymandering.
“Maybe now they will make a decision to add to 300 seats and they will see which areas they will add seats to,” Muhyiddin warned.
“They will take this as a trick so that they maintain their position as a government, most likely in areas with a dense number of voters, where the majority of voters are non-Malay voters.” – September 3, 2023