(Oct 21): Electoral reform watchdog, Bersih 2.0 has taken the opposition to task for failing to table a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and urged all lawmakers to vote down Budget 2016 this Friday to oust him.

In a statement today, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah hit out at coalition bloc Pakatan Harapan, made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah, as well as PAS, for failing to put up concerted and coordinated efforts to push for it.

She took exception to the fact that the opposition bloc made a last-minute retraction of the no-confidence motion by Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian and submitted another one by the Opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, but only to be rejected by the Speaker on technical grounds.

Maria said what was equally disappointing was the uncertainty of whether PAS would support such a motion if tabled.

"The Malaysian public has registered their lack of confidence in PM Najib through their enthusiastic participation in both the Bersih 4 peaceful rally and Bersih’s post-rally “Undi Tidak Percaya” campaign via www.dearYB.my where to date, 12,000 letters have been received in addition to 20,000 postcards already distributed across the nation," she said.

As such, she urged both Pakatan Harapan and PAS to instruct all their MPs to attend the Parliament during the Budget 2016 debate and vote against it at every opportunity.

Maria also urged all Barisan Nasional backbenchers to cross the floor and vote down the budget or to abstain from voting in favour of the budget.

"Parliamentarians should first act in the interest of the nation and a 'backbench revolt' – the act of government backbenchers to vote against the government – is part of the game in parliamentary democracy.

"Whatever the instruction or warning from the chief whip might be, they should act based on the aspirations of the rakyat.

"And if they do not have the guts to revolt, being absent from voting is always an option," Maria said.

She added that if Najib's budget was rejected by the Parliament, it would effectively mean he had lost the confidence of the house.

"In such event, Najib must then tender his resignation, together with his Cabinet in order for the Yang diPertuan Agong to appoint another prime minister or request for parliamentary dissolution." she said. – The Malaysian Insider