Can we expect a Malaysia with less communalism and corruption five years from now?
To reduce both communalism and corruption, one of the things we need to do is to strengthen parliament by strengthening parliamentarians who are not ministers and deputy ministers. – FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
In the Tioman by-election, an Umno senior leader asked his audience point blank: what do you choose, to be with the Government or to be with the Opposition? Umno did win Tioman but only narrowly. Similar ideological mellowing had happened to Umno in its formative years, and its leaders in every generation, and of course also DAP after 2008. Hence, if we want Perikatan Nasional to mellow, the playing field in patronage competition should be made level instead of more lopsided. This is why constituency allocation should be made equitable for all lawmakers regardless of party affiliation.
Government backbenchers can disagree with government’s policies and positions, unlike government frontbenchers who must defend and support all government’s decisions under the doctrine of Cabinet Collective Responsibility. Like second league football teams trying to get into the primary league, government backbenchers are incentivised to outperform and eventually replace the ministers and deputy ministers.
The next reform is to extend Parliament’s sitting days to at least 100 days so that MPs have ample time to debate, and a quarter of the time to be reserved for non-governmental business, with agenda controlled by rivate MPs. This can then allow Private Members’ Bills to be tabled and Committees’ reports to be debated.
Beyond providing equitable constituency allocation, we should minimise the need for federal and state lawmakers to dish out public funds for small-scale infrastructural projects and welfare aids. The perception held by many voters that elected representatives are ATM machines, rather than lawmakers and policy shapers, is why party-hopping happens rampantly.
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