KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — Bukit Gantang Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal decided to pledge support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his own free will, said Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

The unity government spokesman said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) MP was not coerced in any way to give his support.

Fahmi also refuted claims that Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz was on board with the government as he received an additional allocation of RM30 million for his constituency which he allegedly requested.

"I don’t think so. He’s not getting his RM30 million. Even I don’t get that much ... I think what he meant was to prioritise certain initiatives and projects to resolve long-standing problems in his constituency,” he told a press conference here today.

Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz today openly pledged his support to the prime minister and Madani government during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, making him the fifth MP from Bersatu to have done so after Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).

Fahmi also denied claims made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today that there were elements of bribery in the sudden change of support by the five Bersatu MPs.

He said Mahathir as the opposition adviser would have been better off advising MPs under his purview to engage in negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof regarding the allocation of funds to opposition MPs.

"I think he’s not giving them good advice. I urge Tun (Mahathir) to advise them (opposition MPs) to come to the negotiating table ... to find a solution to this issue so that we can live peacefully,” he said.

On another matter, Fahmi said the performances and achievements of all ministries in the past year under the Madani government would be made available to the public.

He said these "report cards” will be disseminated by the One Year with the Madani government celebration secretariat from December 8 to 10. — Bernama