Bloc vote is for opposition to call, not govt, Takiyuddin told
Former Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa took to Twitter to explain that a bloc vote, also called a “division”, would only be called by those opposing a motion.
(FMT) – It is the opposition’s job to call for a bloc vote to oppose a motion tabled by Putrajaya, not the government, a former MP has told Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan.
Former Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa took to Twitter to explain that a bloc vote, also called a “division”, would only be called by those opposing a motion.
In the case of the motion of confidence yesterday, which was passed through a voice vote, Sivarasa said it was the opposition who decided not to call for a bloc vote.
“It was clear from the vote for the Dewan Rakyat Speaker that the opposition would only get 74 votes. The votes in support of the prime minister would be 148, exactly two-thirds of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.
“It was an opposition tactic not to call for the bloc vote as they did not want the 148 votes, a two-thirds majority (backing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim), to be on record. Hence, they did not call for a division which only they could do,” the PKR legal bureau chief said.
He added that leaving it to a voice vote meant that the motion was passed without needing to count the individual votes of MPs.
“We need to understand parliamentary procedure to understand why the opposition did what they did.”
Yesterday, Takiyuddin told a press conference that PN did not want to call for a bloc vote as it believed the motion of confidence in Anwar was unnecessary since he had already been appointed by the King.
The former law minister said the opposition also did not want to be involved in the vote.
“We did not ask (for a bloc vote and) the other side (the government bloc) did not ask, too. We don’t know why they didn’t ask (for a bloc vote) but that’s their own matter.
“The matter is done and there are no figures (on the number of MPs backing Anwar as prime minister),” the PAS secretary-general said.
