KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 ― PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil today questioned the absence of 31 government MPs during the vote to approve a motion under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in Parliament yesterday.

The Lembah Pantai MP said the absence of the 31, which included top Umno leaders in Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan ― cost them the approval of the motion, at the same time, imploring them to provide a reason for their absence.

"According to MPs that were present at Parliament yesterday during the Sosma motion vote, among those who were not present were Bagan Datuk (Ahmad Zahid), Pekan (Najib), Pagoh (Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and Pontian (Ahmad Maslan).

"They were among 31 government MPs who were not present to vote yesterday. Instead of hounding Pakatan Harapan (PH) and creating a story that we failed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), they should explain why they themselves were not present to support their own government’s motion,” he said in a Facebook posting.

"If at least two or three of these MPs were present, the government’s motion would have passed. Why did they not show up?” he asked

Yesterday, the motion to extend the enforcement of sub-section 4(5) of Sosma for another five years was rejected after a bloc vote saw 86 MPs voting against and 84 in favour. The other 50 MPs were absent.

Following that, Umno minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said PH has violated Article 3.3 (b) of the MoU, which he claimed requires the Opposition to support any motion brought forward by the government.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan also joined Annuar, urging the government to drop the MoU with PH following its failure to approve the motion under Sosma, reiterating calls for the 15th general elections (GE15).