Nazri’s new caucus eyes additional MPs on popular vote, equal allocations

Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz, who leads Parliament’s bipartisan electoral reform caucus, has proposed the appointment of additional MPs based on the popular vote.

The veteran BN lawmaker also wants to end party-hopping and ensure all MPs receive equal amounts of allocations regardless of their party affiliation.

Speaking at an online forum organised by NGO Bersih last night, he reiterated his comments in the Dewan Rakyat that party hopping can be stopped by allowing voters to vote for coalition or party logos rather than individual candidates on the ballot paper.  

This would ensure that the seat belonged to the coalition or party that won them even if the MP defected post-election.

Nazri proposed that the ballot paper also includes a shortlist of candidates each coalition or party intended for a particular seat. The list will show who would replace the MPs should they defect, resign or pass away.

In addition to the 222 MPs, he suggested that “bonus MPs” be added to the Dewan Rakyat.

“I want to propose that we need to recognise the popular vote.

“Meaning, if Pakatan Harapan won 55 percent of the vote and BN got 45 percent. And if we determine that for these popular vote seats, we give an additional 100 MPs. Then Harapan will get 55 percent of the 100 MPs,” he said as an example.

Elaborating, he said these bonus MPs would similarly lose their status should they defect to other parties.

“If they run away or resign, we will replace them with someone else,” he added.

Nazri’s third proposal was for all MPs to receive equal allocations.

“We need to determine that each MP is given RM2 million or RM3 million, but this allocation must be based on projects on paper.

“It must be fair (to) everybody. If you get RM1 million or RM2 million, it must be the same. We need to include this (in our proposal),” he added.

Lawmakers aligned to the government of the day typically receive more allocations than those in the opposition.

This is often used as a reason for why lawmakers defect to the government.

Loke pledges DAP support

DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke (photo), a fellow panellist on the “Can interparty agreement end political chaos?” forum, said his party would support any constitutional amendments needed to ensure party hopping could be stopped.

He recalled how DAP had been a “victim” of party hopping since 1969, and pointed to the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis where defections caused the Pakatan Rakyat state government to fall.

“If this is really brought to Parliament, I can’t speak on behalf of everyone in the opposition but as far as DAP is concerned, there is no reason for DAP to oppose it [...]

“For me, DAP can pledge our support. If this needs a constitutional amendment, our MPs will support it,” the Seremban MP said.

Loke, who is in the caucus with Nazri, added that the initiative has since received backing from Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun in the form of support staff for hearings.

The caucus will next hear from the Election Commission, lawyers, academics over the next six months.

After hearing from all stakeholders, it will compile a report of its suggestions for Nazri to present to the government for consideration.

“If the government does not agree with it, that means they like party hopping,” quipped Nazri.

As for Loke’s proposal for a ceasefire agreement among parties as a solution to Perikatan Nasional’s fraught grip on power, Nazri questioned if it would work given the loss of “goodwill” between parties and those who had “betrayed” them by defecting.  - Mkini