BN representatives have slammed DAP deputy chairperson Nga Kor Ming after the latter criticised the Johor government’s decision to introduce appointed assemblypersons.
Claiming that the move goes against the Federal Constitution, Nga reportedly said yesterday that the matter also failed to reflect the practices of a mature democracy, as it supposedly allows politicians to become assemblypersons via a “backdoor”.
Utusan Malaysia further quoted Nga (above) as saying that Pakatan Harapan will gather signatures from Johoreans who oppose the move, as part of a campaign to protest the decision in hopes that the state government would review the matter.
“These appointed assemblypersons aren’t elected by the people (and) don’t have a constituency that they serve, but receive the salaries of an assemblyperson and have the power to raise issues and vote on bills in the state assembly.
“Such moves actually contravene the Federal Constitution, which clearly states that an assemblyperson must be elected by the people and cannot be appointed,” the Perak DAP chairperson argued.
‘Selective DAP outrage’
In response, MCA president Wee Ka Siong accused Nga of practising “double standards,” pointing out that Johor is not the only state with a mechanism that allows appointed assemblypersons.
Highlighting that Pahang, Sabah, and Terengganu had previously implemented similar practices, the Ayer Hitam MP noted that DAP has been part of the governing coalition in both Sabah and Pahang since 2023.
He further questioned why there was “no outrage” from DAP when Pahang appointed five additional assemblypersons in 2024, including one each from PKR and Amanah as well as three from BN.
Wee said that at the time, three of the seven representatives in the Pahang state assembly who voted in support of the move were from DAP.
Last December, six assemblypersons were appointed to the Sabah state assembly, including Kota Kinabalu PKR division chief Grace Lee.
“The real issue here is not whether appointed state assemblypersons are constitutional or democratic. If it were, DAP would have objected consistently across every state,” the former transport minister said in a Facebook post yesterday.
“Instead, what Malaysians are seeing is selective outrage. When Johor does it, DAP labels it undemocratic, but when the same mechanism benefits their own political allies elsewhere, the silence is deafening.
“Principles should not change according to political convenience,” he emphasised.
‘Be consistent’
Expressing similar sentiments, Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros challenged Nga, who is also the housing and local government minister, to assert his stance in other states which allow appointed assemblypersons.
“Nga is being inconsistent and selective. He’s using different standards for different states,” Free Malaysia Today quoted Azleen as saying yesterday.
“Therefore, I challenge Nga to be consistent in his principles and push for Harapan’s appointed assemblypersons in Pahang and Sabah to relinquish their posts, if he truly is opposed to the same concept being introduced in Johor.
“If the principles he touts are truly based on justice and transparency, then these principles should not evolve according to state or political interests,” he added.
The dispute comes after the Johor state assembly on May 7 approved a bill to amend the state enactment allowing for the appointment of up to five non-elected state assemblypersons.
The bill was passed after securing more than two-thirds support, with 40 assemblypersons in favour and 16 opposing it.
Sinar Harian reported then that the bill was greenlit by the state assembly after one representative from the government and opposition bench debated the matter.
The official document detailing the breakdown of present assemblypersons’ votes is not yet available on the state assembly’s website.
Under the leadership of Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who is also Umno’s Machap assemblyperson, the state’s 56-seat assembly consists of 40 BN representatives, 12 from Harapan, three from Perikatan Nasional, and one sole assemblyperson from Muda.
The BN assemblypersons include 33 Umno representatives, four from MCA, and three from MIC, while DAP has 10 representatives alongside one each from PKR and Amanah.
The state’s opposition features two assemblypersons from Bersatu and one from PAS.
Broadening participation
In tabling the now-approved amendments at the Johor state assembly, Onn said the move is aimed at broadening participation in the state legislative assembly, especially through the involvement of individuals with expertise and experience to enhance debates and policymaking processes.
He added that the amendment was implemented in accordance with due legal procedures, including the requirement that it receive the support of not less than two-thirds of assemblypersons.
The bill, among others, sought to allow the appointment of no more than five non-elected assemblypersons, which will result in the number of assemblypersons increasing from 56 to 61.
Another clause provides for appointments to be made through a motion in the state legislative assembly, subject to the consent of the sultan.
The proposed amendment had previously come under fire from various quarters, including Johor PKR, which cited a lack of consultation and a potential perception of “imbalance in the democratic mandate.”
Its chief, Dr Zaliha Mustafa, stressed that the matter requires deeper scrutiny to ensure it does not undermine the state assembly’s legitimacy as an institution, while DAP’s Mengkibol assemblyperson Chew Chong Sin urged the state government to instead increase the frequency of assembly sittings per year.
Electoral reform group Tindak also cautioned that the move is unnecessary and risks weakening the state’s democratic mandate, with its director Danesh Prakash Chacko arguing that such a practice would “artificially inflate” a government's majority. - Mkini
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