TIME TO RETHINK THE ROLE OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

 

The following has been written by a close friend of mine Dato Abdul Rahman Maidin.

Over the last three years, we have had three changes of governments, but with the same elected representatives.  Consequently, some Members of Parliament have had to align and re-align themselves in terms of their loyalties to political parties without the prior consent of their constituents.

The result is frustration and confusion in the electorate. How can the ‘people’s representatives’ keep their election promises when their loyalties are subject to random change? The question on the voters lips is this:” Are our MPs looking after our interests or theirs?”

 To answer these questions, lets first examine the institution of Parliament. In a democratic society Parliament is one of three arms of government. The other two being the judiciary and the executive. 

Parliament is where elected representatives of the people are gathered to propose, oppose, amend or make laws in the name of their constituents. It is not an assembly of political parties alone or a chamber that echoes the partisan politics of political parties.

MP’s are the people’s representative.  They do not represent themselves or their party.  Just as a lawyer takes instructions from his clients, the MP should take instructions from his constituents.

Malaysia’s Parliament is made up of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara. It is the Dewan Rakyat  that matters in this context. By its very definition, the Dewan Rakyat is Hall of the People.  It  belongs to the people. Period.

In brief therefore Parliamentarians must always:

• Recognize, acknowledge and uphold the fact that parliament belongs to the people. 

• Acknowledge that their paramount role is to serve their constituents. 

• Acknowledge that it is not the MP’s political party or other vested interest that overrides the interests of their constituencies. 

• Keep their constituents informed of proceedings and current issues and seek their feedback on matters likely to impact  their lives. 

• MP’s must account to the electorate for all their income, expenses, and other benefits from whatever source and pledge to make public their pecuniary, social and political interests prior to elections. 

• MP’s must pledge to refrain from voting on in any matter that is likely or perceived to give rise to conflicts of interest between their duty to Parliament and their obligations to their constituents. 

• MP’s likewise must undertake to refrain from the use of unparliamentary language or disparage other members under any circumstances in upholding the dignity of Prliament.

Besides taking an oath of loyalty to YDPA and the Constitution, MPs must also take an oath to acknowledge and advance these concepts in line with their bounden duty to those who elected them as their representatives in the Hall of the People.

In the Hall of the People, the people come first.

Dato Abdul Rahman Maidin

My Comments :

I personally do not see any changes at all to all the wrongdoing that is going on in the country.  

And the wrong doing is very wide and deep.  From failed policies which have caused the economy to fail, to frequent abuses of the law by those in power, those in authority and even those in uniform. 

So while the wrongs are still being perpetrated there is no light at the end of the tunnel to change or abolish these wrong policies.

But what is more worrying is the complete absence of any thinking or effort to present new policies that will turn the country around.  

In other words even if bad policies are changed (which they will not) they have no idea what to do next. 

The economy and the people are suffering or being held back from reaching their full potential.  The suffering of the people will increase. The happiness will increase.

The people of this country have so far shown an unbelievable amount of patience and tolerance towards a horribly failed system. But at some point in time, every society will just get too tired.

When that happens do give me a call. I know what to do. 

 The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.