11-11-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The leading opposition party in Malaysia, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), has alleged that some of its lawmakers are being coerced or bribed to shift their support to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In response, Bersatu plans to file complaints with the police and anti-graft agency. Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin revealed late on Thursday that four lawmakers were being threatened with legal action or offered cash bribes to back Anwar.
Two of the lawmakers have already been suspended from Bersatu and stripped of their party positions, while the other two are expected to face similar consequences, according to Muhyiddin’s statement during a press conference. These four lawmakers recently switched their allegiance to Anwar’s coalition, providing him with a supermajority support nearly a year after he formed a coalition following a hung Parliament result.
The increased support could potentially facilitate Anwar’s plans to restructure Malaysia’s economy and reduce the budget deficit. The Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, on the other hand, viewed the rise in support as a positive development and suggested that more lawmakers might switch allegiances, as reported by national news agency Bernama on Thursday.
Bersatu’s youth chief, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, stated on Friday that many Bersatu lawmakers have been approached to support Anwar. He added, “I was also offered to support the government, but I rejected them.” Fayhsal expressed confidence that they had managed to address the situation with their representatives and did not expect any further switches in support.
According to Bernama, one of the lawmakers who switched support to Anwar claimed to be doing so for the benefit of his constituency. Local media reported similar reasons given by the other three lawmakers, with one of them stating that he gained access to government funds after changing his support.
Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin suggested reviewing Malaysia’s ban on party hopping, citing potential weaknesses in the current law. Under the existing legislation, if a Member of Parliament switches parties, their seat would be vacated, triggering a by-election. However, this provision does not apply to the four lawmakers from Bersatu.
