KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — With the loyalties of elected representatives here seemingly purchased at will, a billionaire from abroad could technically “control” the whole of Malaysia, Mohamad Sabu said today.

During his speech in the Dewan Rakyat on the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2020, Mohamad said respecting the people’s mandate was of utmost importance as elected representatives have a duty to elevate Malaysia’s standing in the future.

The Kota Raja MP pointed out how the current crop of Perikatan Nasional (PN) ministers will have to face questions on party hopping from investors on the international stage when the country’s borders eventually reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is why the issue of a mandate is significant. It is not something to be trifled with.

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“What we are worried about now is that MPs could be bought at will. Let’s say an allocation to buy an MP is around RM30 to RM40 million, that is an insignificant sum to the billionaire with 112 MPs enough to control Malaysia, regardless if they were from this side or the other.

“This is what we are worried about: the police reports lodged in Sabah if true. We are putting Malaysia in a precarious situation in the future,” he said.

Last month, several assemblymen in Sabah had alleged that they were offered millions to abandon their parties to form a new state government aligned with the ruling coalition.

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The takeover plan was eventually foiled after the incumbent state government announced the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly to pave the way for a state election.

Mohamad, who is also Parti Amanah Negara president in the Opposition bloc, added that international lobbyists love to control MPs and eventually control the government, which he said was worrisome when the people’s mandate is not respected.

“That is why during our time (Pakatan Harapan), we saw losses in several by-elections and we even expect PH to lose the next general election because the trend shows we are being rejected.

“We sought to work harder to obtain the rakyat’s support democratically but when this was taken away from us halfway, through the backdoor, it was hard for us to accept because we were not handed a defeat by the people.

“What does this mean to investors? That governments can change when MPs make changes, that is why we are looking at instability because our political structure is missing,” he added.

The PN coalition came to helm the government following a political scandal in late February that saw portions from PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia join forces with PAS and Barisan Nasional to form the new administration.