Separate meeting held by Opposition

PETALING JAYA: A separate meeting was held by Opposition MPs to prepare for the special Dewan Rakyat sitting to table amendments to the Federal Constitution.

The amendments are to pave the way for the anti-hopping law in July.

Transformation and Political Stability Steering Committee co-chairman Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed the meeting took place about the same time another briefing was being held for the Prime Minister on the same matter.

“Yes, we were invited by the Prime Minister to attend that briefing.

“We had informed the Prime Minister that Pakatan Harapan would like to have its own separate briefing,” he said when contacted yesterday.

The PKR secretary-general said DAP’s Gobind Singh Deo gave the briefing.

Present at the meeting were Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu.

Also invited by Pakatan to attend were Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Yesterday, Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun briefed the Prime Minister, MPs and senators on the proposed amendments to Article 10 of the Constitution in Putrajaya at about 4.30pm.

However, the separate meeting by Pakatan at a hotel in Putrajaya gave rise to speculation it was a snub by the Opposition.

A Pakatan MP, who did not wished to be named, denied it was a snub.

He said their meeting was to strategise for today’s special Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Amendments to Article 10 of the Constitution will be tabled in Dewan Rakyat today while the amendments will be tabled before Dewan Negara tomorrow.