by Aidila Razak
Malaysiakini
Sep 21, 11
Pakatan Rakyat will participate in the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms despite earlier boycott threats.
After the Pakatan leadership council meeting in Kuala Lumpur, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said that the coalition was willing to “give the government a chance” to prove its commitment to electoral reforms.
However, the coalition has yet to appoint its three representatives to the nine member committee. Five will be filled by BN MPs and another from the Independent bloc.
“We have given our members full mandate to represent Pakatan and state their priorities, collaborate and see the workings of the committee and decide if it is a delay tactic.
“We are giving the government a chance, we don’t want to be presumptuous,” he said.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who was also at the press conference, added that the decision reflects Pakatan’s willingness to “walk the last mile”.
“If it is a ploy (to delay reforms) then we won’t be part of it,” he said.
The three MPs who will join the PSC, due to be formed in the next parliamentary sitting on Oct 3, will be decided by PAS, DAP and PKR respectively.
Pakatan had previously stated it will not join the PSC unless Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak can guarantee that he will not call snap polls before the PSC’s recommendations are in place.
Asked about this today, Anwar said that this would be something Pakatan PSC members will raise in the committee.
The select committee will be made up of four BN backbenchers, three Pakatan Mps and one Independent MP, and is chaired by a cabinet minister.
BN has selected its members but has not revealed the names.