PM Anwar, Rafizi downplay Muda's exclusion, say govt coalition secretariat meeting only for 'founding members'

BESTARI JAYA, Feb 9 — The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) was not invited to the newly-formed Unity Government Secretariat meeting on Tuesday because it was a meeting just for “founding members”, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

He said that any future meetings would include Muda's presence.

“We explained before that the meeting was for the founding member parties but this matter will be brought up in future sessions.

“For future meets, we will bring them in as they too are supporters of this government,” he said when met by reporters at the Universiti Selangor campus here.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was greeted by students during his visit to the Universiti Selangor campus in Bestari Jaya February 9, 2023. ― Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Separately, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli explained that only signatories to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) attended, which included coalitions with more than three Parliamentary seats: Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan.

“The meeting was among the signatories of the agreement and while Muda is part of the unity government, it was only parties with three MPs and above that were a signatory,” he told reporters this morning at the launch of the World Bank’s Malaysia Economic Monitor February 2023 Edition “Expanding Malaysia's Digital Frontier”.

Despite Rafizi's remark, Muda secretary-general Amir Abd Hadi yesterday said that the party was among those who had signed the memorandum in December.

However, Muda only has one federal seat in the Parliament: president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman's Muar.

PKR's Rafizi Ramli speaks during the launch of the World Bank’s Malaysia Economic Monitor February 2023 Edition ‘Expanding Malaysia's Digital Frontier’ in Kuala Lumpur February 9, 2023. ― Picture by Hari Anggara

Yesterday, Amir stressed that Muda is not blaming any parties for the exclusion and believed that the matter stemmed from miscommunication.

On Tuesday, Anwar announced that the newly-formed Unity Government Secretariat has been tasked with organising the allied parties to jointly face the six state elections that must be held by this year following a historic meeting at the headquarters of Umno in Menara Dato Onn.

The PH chairman said Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf and Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki will head the secretariat.