Political crossovers and returning the mandate to voters

(Bernama pic)

In the wake of the decision of the PPBM leadership to accept seven former Umno MPs into its fold, the question of crossovers in Malaysian politics has come to the fore again. Some of those who support this practice defend it in the name of freedom of association. Those opposed to it argue that it is a betrayal of the voter.

Perhaps the issue itself has to be re-framed. What is at stake is how elected legislators view the mandate they receive from their voters. Since most of the time that mandate is inextricably linked to the party that the MP or state assembly is associated with, it is incumbent upon the legislator to return the mandate to the voters if he can no longer defend the party. It is the principle of returning the mandate to the voter that should be adhered to.

In concrete terms, this means that a legislator who does not want to continue his association with a certain party should resign from his position. He can re-contest his seat if he so wishes but he must first return the mandate to the people. That is what respect for the people, the voters, means in a democracy.

It is not true that this idea of returning the mandate to the voter infringes upon a legislator’s freedom of association. The legislator is free to join any new grouping he is inclined to. He can even re-contest his seat on behalf of his new party. A number of us proposed this idea for decades. The powers that be showed no interest.

Now that a new government is in power, we hope that it will introduce a new law entitled “Returning the Mandate to the Voter” that will not only empower the voter but also enhance democratic governance.

One hopes that Pakatan Harapan (PH) legislators and members will persuade their leaders to formulate such a law rather than continue to criticise them mercilessly for admitting former Umno MPs into PPBM. The proposed law should be an essential element in the array of new legislation that the government intends to present to Parliament in the course of the year.

PH members should realise that unfettered attacks on PH leaders and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on this issue could have dire consequences. Not only will his credibility be undermined, he may just choose to abandon the PH ship. Since he is the glue that holds the four-party coalition together and the indispensable force that sustains the PH government at this stage, his departure in this manner would only spell disaster for the nation.

Of course, for those of us who have struggled and sacrificed for genuine meaningful change for so long – especially through civil society – the nine-month-old PH government has been a disappointment on certain scores. Nonetheless, it is trying to overcome monumental challenges generated by the kleptocratic tendencies of the previous regime and to strengthen public accountability. Since it is still early days, the PH government deserves to be given a chance to prove its worth.

Seen from this perspective, the admission of former Umno MPs may not be just about the power of an individual or his party. Mahathir is perhaps acutely conscious of the fact that based on the 2018 general election, PH has the support of only about 27% of the Malay electorate while 60% of the population is Malay and almost two-thirds of all legislators at federal and state levels are Malay and Muslim. He knows what this disjuncture implies for the government’s ability to govern effectively and to introduce reforms. Increasing PH’s parliamentary strength may be part of the endeavour to close the gap.

But ethics tells us that it is not the solution. The PH government has to gain the wholehearted support of the majority of Malays and Bumiputeras through the sincere implementation of policies that bring direct benefits to the B40 and M40 segments of society. At the same time, Malays, Bumiputeras and all Malaysians should feel secure in the new emerging political configuration which is multi-ethnic with a Malay-Muslim Bumiputera core, reflective of the evolution of contemporary Malaysia. Creating that feeling of security through tangible action should be the government’s priority in 2019.

Chandra Muzaffar is former chairman of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Perpaduan Malaysia. -FMT