Non-elected reps make for stronger governance, says Johor Umno Youth

 Johor Umno Youth says the appointment of the five assemblymen will strengthen institutional capacity, improve legislative debate and enhance checks and balances.

The Johor state assembly passed a constitutional amendment bill allowing the appointment of five unelected assemblymen, which increases the total number of state representatives to 61. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Johor Umno Youth has defended the state government’s move to appoint five unelected assemblymen, describing it as an institutional reform aimed at strengthening democracy and improving the effectiveness of the state legislative assembly.

Its chief, Noor Azleen Ambros, said the constitutional amendment passed by the Johor state assembly today should be viewed as a step towards reinforcing the state’s democratic system and governance.

He said the increasingly complex administrative landscape required the Johor legislative assembly to be strengthened in terms of capacity, capability and depth of debate.

Azleen said appointing assemblymen with experience, diverse backgrounds and specific expertise would add value to the policy-making process, enrich legislative debates and improve the quality of checks and balances in the state assembly.

“The move would complement the state legislative institution with perspectives, experience and capabilities that could help the assembly function more effectively, efficiently and authoritatively when facing current challenges,” he said in a statement

Azleen said Johor Umno Youth was confident the state government remained committed to ensuring that every institutional reform introduced would be based on the principles of accountability, transparency and public interest.

He added that a mature democracy should be measured not only by elections but also by the strength of its institutions, the quality of discourse and the system’s ability to adapt to current demands.

Earlier today, the Johor state assembly passed a constitutional amendment bill allowing the appointment of five unelected assemblymen, which increases the total number of state representatives to 61. The bill received the support of 40 out of 56 assemblymen.

Menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the appointed assemblymen would not be elected but selected to complement the existing composition of the state assembly, adding that such positions already existed in Sabah, Terengganu and Pahang.

However, the proposal drew criticism from opposition parties, including Johor opposition leader Andrew Chen, who described the move as rushed and said there should have been prior consultations with the opposition.

The proposal also sparked calls from rights groups for the five appointed seats to be filled by women, saying it could help Johor become the first state assembly to achieve the 30% target for women’s representation. - FMT