KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Cross-party cooperation through the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) is important in building parliamentary consensus to advance institutional reforms in the country, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

In this regard, she welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s support for the implementation of the CSA, as well as his proposal to extend the cooperation to more opposition parties.

She said political differences should not be an obstacle to cooperation for the sake of national stability and the interests of the people, adding that the approach would also provide an avenue for all the existing 218 MPs to play a role in the parliamentary democratic process.

“This is to ensure that the voices of the people represented by their respective Members of Parliament are also involved in determining the direction and future of national institutions through debates and voting in Parliament,” she said in a Facebook post today.

Azalina said the reforms include separating the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor, as well as a proposal to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to 10 years, which require cross-party scrutiny and support as they involve the national interest and amendments to the Federal Constitution.

She said a similar approach to cooperation had previously been implemented when Umno was part of the federal government during the previous term.

Azalina said that as part of the Unity Government, Barisan Nasional (BN) would continue to play a constructive role in maintaining political stability, strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring the country’s administration functions effectively in the interests of the people.

Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid, who is also BN chairman, described the CSA as a positive development in addressing and resolving issues affecting the people.

Last Thursday, the Madani Government signed a CSA with six Bersatu MPs led by its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as well as seven other MPs, including Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

On the same day, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the agreement was aimed at ensuring the continuity of the government’s administration and the effective implementation of the country’s development agenda, including Budget 2027, in the interests of the people. — Bernama