16 Feb 2019

*No more excuses for failure fulfil promises; Pakatan Harapan a strong govt now*

Pakatan Harapan has been leveraging on the excuse that the new government is still not stable so as to justify its inability to realise its many policies and promises. In particular, PH has regularly remarked that the sentiment of all races must be taken into account, so that the PH government would not become destabilised.

However, with the latest entry of ex-UMNO Members of Parliament into Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PH’s seats has increased to 154 and the government is now in a strong position, having garnered a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat. It is thus about time for PH to fulfil all its promises.

For the past two Parliamentary terms after the 2008 general elections, Malaysia has experienced a 10-year absence of a strong government holding a two-thirds absolute dominance, as Barisan Nasional was only governing with simple majority, in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

PH’s engineering of lawmakers to cross over as a means to obtain a two-thirds majority is an inappropriate action in manipulating democracy, and runs counter its advocacy of a healthy 2-party system. But since it has become a strong government, PH is duty-bound to immediately fulfil its election promises, and state clearly the timetable for their realisation:

1.         The separation of Executive, Legislative and Judiciary powers, and this should be incorporated into the Federal Constitution in black and white;

2.         The word ‘parent’ under Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution, to be amended to read as plural parents (ibubapa), and not either one of the parents;

3.         Recognition of the United Examination Certificate;

4.         Conducting local council elections; and

5.         Abolishment of the various laws perceived to be oppressive by PH, such as the Sedition Act 1948, Prevention of Crime Act 1959, Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and so on.

The Prime Minister had previously pledged to strengthen the separation of powers, especially in regaining people’s confidence towards the judiciary and legal agencies, including making Parliament responsible for the appointment of judges, and the separating the Office of the Attorney-General as the government’s principal legal adviser from the Public Prosecutor.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said in August last year, he believes that it was possible to revive the Parliamentary Services Act and make Parliament autonomous again in a very short time, to truly realise the separation of powers.  The Act was abolished by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad himself in 1992 when he was the Prime Minister and Parliament was then made to become an agency attached to the Prime Minister’s Department.

With the PH government’s newfound strength in Parliament, there are no more excuses to ignore fulfilling its election Manifesto.

Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun
MCA Secretary General

// End