COMMENT All eyes will now focus on whether Pakatan Rakyat MPs will turn up in full force to vote on the bill to amend the Sedition Act 1948.

This follows a public outcry against 26 Pakatan MPs for being absent when the vote on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (Pota) was taken on Tuesday morning.

When the final vote was called at 2.25am, the bill was passed with a vote of 79 for and 60 against.

Critics have pointed out that if all 84 Pakatan MPs had attended, it would have been the first time that a bill in the Dewan Rakyat would have been defeated.

Historically, though, BN would have called for reinforcements whenever it felt uncomfortable with its numbers.

According to the Hansard, votes on the bill were called several times. The largest number of hands shown against the bill was 64.

Many bigwigs absent

Prominent absentees during the final vote on the Pota bill were PAS party whip Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena) and PKR party whip Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani).

Other absentees included DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (Bagan), PKR deputy president Azmin Ali (Gombak) and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang).

Several Pakatan MPs attended the debate on the Pota bill, but for various reasons they did not stay when the final vote was called.

Many Pakatan supporters had taken to Twitter and Facebook to voice their disappointment that their elected representatives did not fight to the bitter end and put their opposition on record.

Pota is of significant public interest because the new law allows indefinite detention without trial with little safeguards, sparking fear that the law is open for abuse.

Another crucial vote

Later today, the Dewan Rakyat will again face a crucial vote.

Putrajaya is seeking to amend the Sedition Act, among others, to set a minimum jail term of two years and extend the maximum jail term from five years to 20 years.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia ( right ) said if all went according to plan, the Lower House would wrap up the debate by 6pm.

If Pakatan calls for a bloc vote on every clause, like it did on Monday, then the debate and vote would extend well into the night.

And in the event that BN manages to pass yet another bill with numbers lower than the total number of Pakatan MPs, the coalition's credibility as a meaningful opposition will take another damaging blow.

Related stories

UN urges withdrawal of sedition amendments

Sedition bill: Will Pakatan MPs vote in full force?

Ex-IGP Musa, too, says Dr M's queries not seditious

'No bail' clause in Sedition Bill removed

Umno warlords 'directing' sedition amendments

Can't wait for courts, Sedition Act debate is on

Can cops be trusted not to abuse new powers?

When sedition is worse than murder

Can cops be trusted not to abuse new powers?