Whom do you serve, Ku Li asks MPs

Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah speaks to the press at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur today. He has urged his fellow MPs to make up their minds on who they prioritise, their political parties or the people. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, March 17, 2015. Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah urged his fellow MPs today to decide whether they were willing to give up their powers to "forces" outside Parliament by putting party interests first in their decisions, or remember their pledge to serve the people.

Malaysia's longest-serving federal lawmaker said this was because the power of Parliament had shifted to the leadership of political parties, a development that he termed as “outside the Constitution”.

He said it was also against the provisions of the Constitution and did not reflect a constitutional democracy.

"All elected reps have to make a decision if they want to fulfil the pledge they made when they were first elected as a member of this Dewan or if they are willing to relinquish their right to powers outside the Dewan Rakyat.

"The decision has to be a fundamental decision for the people. It is a historic decision if they want to serve and bow to the needs of the people or if they want to be with the party leadership," he said when debating the royal address in Parliament today.

The Umno Gua Musang MP said parliamentarians should make their decisions based on their conscience.

He said this meant being brave to accept or reject suggestions in the interest of Malaysians the MPs represented, although it might mean going against the wishes of their respective parties.

"In the meantime, we also need to act as a group and as a team to offer ourselves to uphold the sovereignty of the people as well as voters," said the lawmaker who is also known as Ku Li.

He added that the Parliament is the institution responsible for the wellbeing of the country and its citizens.

As members of Parliament, federal lawmakers have taken an oath to serve the country as well as uphold the Federal Constitution in the interest of the people.

"Let me remind you the pledge is not for any parties or their leaders," he added.

Ku Li said the country is now faced with an unprecedented situation where its economy and institutions responsible to uphold the rule of law and parliamentary democracy had eroded, while national unity was on the decline.

He said this had caused a crisis which has seeped into the grassroots, causing economic and political gridlock.

"This situation presents an opportunity to the Dewan Rakyat to play an important role in the nation’s development. No other institution, be it political or non-political, can overcome this gridlock apart from  the members of the House," he added.

- TMI