The MADANI government has secured the support of 13 opposition and independent Members of Parliament (MPs) through a Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA), in exchange for commitments on institutional reforms and constituency development allocations.
The agreement, signed at Parliament on October 29, involves six Bersatu MPs, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and six independent MPs who previously declared their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Under the agreement, the 13 MPs will support the government until the end of the current parliamentary term, including the passage of Budget 2027.
In return, the government has committed to pursuing two major institutional reforms: limiting the prime minister's tenure to a maximum of two terms and separating the roles of the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor.
The MPs will also receive the same constituency development allocations as government backbenchers.
The six Bersatu MPs involved are party president Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh), Radzi Jidin (Putrajaya), Ali Biju (Saratok), Suhaimi Abdullah (Langkawi), Nazri Abu Hassan (Merbok) and Azman Nasrudin (Padang Serai).
The six independent MPs are Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjung Karang), Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).
Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said and the Prime Minister's senior political adviser Tengku Zafrul Aziz represented the government at the signing ceremony.
Speaking after the ceremony, Muhyiddin said the agreement was intended to strengthen political stability and allow the government to address issues affecting the country, particularly the economy and cost of living.
He stressed that Bersatu would remain in the opposition despite signing the agreement, adding that the party would continue its role in providing checks and balances.
Muhyiddin also said the agreement included provisions to address situations where either party failed to fulfil its commitments, which could lead to its termination.
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq described equal constituency allocations as an important aspect of the agreement, saying public funding should not be distributed based on whether an MP supports the government.
He also called for the arrangement to be extended to other opposition MPs, arguing that fair allocations should benefit all parliamentary constituencies.
The agreement follows Anwar's earlier indication that constituency development allocations for opposition MPs could be provided through a CSA, similar to the arrangement reached under former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's administration in 2021.
The latest agreement also comes as the government continues to pursue its institutional reform agenda, with the proposed two-term limit for prime ministers having previously failed to secure sufficient parliamentary support.
With the additional backing of the 13 signatories, the government has a wider pool of parliamentary support to advance its legislative agenda.
However, the agreement's significance will ultimately depend on whether the promised reforms are translated into legislation and passed before the current parliamentary term ends.