Traffic Jams, Hospital Stays And A Religious Ceremony — Eight Government MPs Explain Their Absences, As 32 Other MPs Remain Unaccounted For

While all Pakatan Harapan MPs were present and voted in favour, 32 other MPs — neither voting for nor against — simply didn’t turn up, with 44 more abstaining.

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One MP was in the hospital, another was at a religious ceremony, and others said they were caught in traffic.

These were the reasons offered by eight government-aligned Members of Parliament who failed to show up for Tuesday’s (2 March) constitutional vote — a vote that would have limited any future prime minister to 10 years in office, and which fell just two votes short of passing.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil confirmed the absences on Wednesday, saying the government had contacted each MP individually after the bill failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to amend Malaysia’s constitution.

Each of them, when asked why they were not there, gave various reasons.

Fahmi was speaking to reporters at the launch of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) in Cyberjaya.

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Who Was Missing

The eight absent government-aligned MPs were:

Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang)
Datuk Henry Sum Agong (Lawas)
Riduan Rubin (Tenom)
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong)
Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (Libaran)
Datuk Seri M. Saravanan (Tapah)
Datuk Larry Soon (Julau)
Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Keningau)

Three came from Barisan Nasional (BN), with one each from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and Parti Bangsa Malaysia, and two were government-supporting independent MPs.

Fahmi confirmed that all MPs from Pakatan Harapan — Anwar’s own coalition bloc — were present and voted in favour of the bill.

From the PH bloc, 100 per cent were present. All attended, and all voted.

@ashrafhayupkhan Kita tidak akan tunduk pada tekanan. Kita tidak akan berhenti selagi suara rakyat tidak didengar. Semoga dipermudahkan urusan kita semua. Lawan tetap lawan#pakatanharapan #politikmalaysia #ashrafbersuara #viral malaysia #pru15 ♬ original sound – ashrafhayupkhan

Excuses, Explanations And A Disappointed Deputy PM

Of the eight, Fahmi said the Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir was hospitalised and unable to attend.

The Tapah MP, Saravanan, informed the government he was attending a religious ceremony.

Other MPs cited being caught in heavy traffic as the reason they missed the session.

Meanwhile, the Bukit Gantang MP offered a different kind of explanation — saying his decision not to vote was personal, rooted in his belief that Anwar deserved more time to lead the country, given what he described as the Prime Minister’s good performance and leadership.

Fahmi also revealed that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof did not conceal his reaction to the outcome.

I saw his expression… the Deputy Prime Minister looked a little disappointed that eight MPs were not present.

What The Bill Would Have Done

To amend Malaysia’s constitution, a bill requires two-thirds support from all 222 members of parliament — a threshold of 148 votes — but the Perlembagaan (Pindaan) 2026 bill, personally tabled by Anwar, received only 146.

No MP voted against it outright; 44 abstained, and 32 did not attend.

Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul announced the final count after 41 MPs from both sides of the house had debated the legislation.

The bill, which sought to constitutionally cap any future prime minister’s tenure at 10 years, marked the Madani Government’s first-ever failed constitutional amendment.

DAP, Anwar’s most consistent coalition partner, turned up in full force with all 40 of its MPs voting in favour, and Secretary-General Anthony Loke has since called on civil society and voters to directly question those who were absent.

The government has left the door open, with Fahmi confirming the bill can be reproposed.

On social media, public reaction to the absenteeism was blunt — one user asked simply: “Where did the 32 who skipped parliament go — enjoying taxpayers’ money?”