Govt, opposition must ink deal to accelerate reforms

 

 We, the undersigned civil society organisations (CSOs), call upon the government and opposition to sign a cross-party agreement, involving all 218 parliamentarians, to complete eight key reforms in the 15th Parliament’s remaining months.

Without such an agreement, key reforms may be held back by political uncertainties and susceptible to unelected forces that do not want these reforms to empower voters.

This agreement should aim to pave the way for the consolidation of parliamentary democracy before and after the 16th general election (GE16), and to restore public and international confidence in political stability and accountability in Malaysia.

It must therefore cover concerns of both the Madani government and Perikatan Nasional.

The credit for these reforms should go to every parliamentarian among the 218 who supports them.

We urge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to reach out directly to PN’s top leadership to deepen democracy and enhance stability.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

As Anwar enters the last year of his term, this is his moment as a statesman to unite all parties to introduce far-reaching changes.

Golden opportunity for PN

It is equally a golden opportunity for the PN to propose a comprehensive deal to the Madani government, to show its visionary leadership and democratic commitment for Malaysia after GE16.

With the above considerations, we propose eight reforms for the agreement:

• Limiting the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years;

• Separating the roles of the attorney-general and the public-prosecutor (AG-PP);

• Enacting the Freedom of Information Act;

• Enacting the Ombudsman Act;

• Enacting the Equitable Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Act;

• Establishing the Political Financing Act, with public funding for political parties;

• Having an Election Commission (EC) that is answerable to Parliament, not to the prime minister; and

• A three-month notice for parliamentary dissolution, if there is no agreement for the 15th Parliament to serve full term until Dec 18, 2027.

The first four reforms are what Anwar had promised at the beginning of his term, with the first two requiring a two-third majority (148 votes) to amend the Federal Constitution.

Reforms to secure the future

The prime minister’s 10-year tenure limit would enable leadership renewal and rejuvenation and prevent power abuse and dynastic politics.

The AG-PP separation is necessary to prevent selective prosecution, selective impunity and a two-tiered ("dua darjat") society.

The FOI and Ombudsman Acts would empower ordinary Malaysians, promote transparency and accountability, and incentivise civil servants to deliver better public services.

These reforms will undoubtedly face resistance from some quarters, and any party aiming to lead or join the next government should help to deliver them within this government’s term.

The next four reforms are important to further guarantee a level playing field, thereby benefiting not only the current opposition but also every party - including those now in the government - that may someday sit on the opposition bench.

These reforms are “extra insurance” to ensure the healthy survival of the opposition and to incentivise it to compete constructively.

Equal funding

Fifthly, equitable CDF, based on whatever objective formula is agreed upon and with safeguards for transparency and accountability, should be accessible to all parliamentarians and, at the state level, to all assemblypersons.

CDF should not be monopolised by the government or made conditional on supporting the administration.

Sixthly, a Political Finance Act is necessary to prevent the embezzlement of public funds and control by foreign funders, as seen in the 1MDB scandal.

Public financing of political parties based on vote share and other objective criteria, including women’s candidacy, is necessary to promote a level playing field and reduce the influence of private money.

Seventhly, the EC should be made independent, impartial and answerable to Parliament instead of to the prime minister, and then given more powers, including the power over the registration of political parties.

This would enhance public confidence in our electoral process and system and prevent instability over electoral disputes.

Finally, the public deserves to know the government’s plan and should not be subjected to a guessing game over the election date.

If the government and the opposition cannot agree that the administration should serve until Dec 18, 2027, when the 15th Parliament stands dissolved, the prime minister should commit to seeking the royal assent for early dissolution three months before that date, thereby leaving the EC, all parties and the public ample time to plan accordingly.

This would set a good precedent for future federal and state elections. The outdated mindset of the PM ambushing the opposition with a snap election must end.

Kudos over CSA

We congratulate the government and 13 parliamentarians (seven from Bersatu, one from Muda and six former Bersatu members) for signing a Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) on Oct 29.

While the CSA would put the government in a stronger position to pursue the two constitutional amendments, it is narrow and transactional, as equitable CDF remains an item for bargaining instead of a legal mandate.

CSA signing between government representatives and several opposition MPs

We support the call by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said for PN to enter another CSA with the government, but we think its scope must be wider, covering the legitimate interests of the opposition beyond conditional access to equitable CDF.

We also call upon PN’s top leadership to consider this proposal for an eight-reform cross-party deal.

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We take note of PN’s position that Bersatu seven does not represent the opposition. PN is indeed in a stronger position to demand a real deal that benefits the nation and the opposition. Now is an opportune time for it to demonstrate its leadership and readiness to lead the nation after GE16.

The political success that former premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration and the then opposition, Pakatan Harapan, achieved in bringing about reforms and stability for 13 months through the Memorandum of Understanding for Political Transformation and Stability signed on Sept 13, 2021, just five years ago, should serve as a reminder of how politics can be made more professional and productive. - Mkini

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The statement was signed by Projek Sama, Bersih, C4 Center, Institute for Democracy And Economic Affairs, Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia, and Rasuah Busters - with endorsement from 47 groups.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT