Will history repeat itself?

 

MP SPEAKS | As we approach the Malacca state elections this weekend, we are forced as a nation to face the question of whether history will repeat itself. 

Will elected representatives be voted into position by the people party-hop? Will Malaccans have to face another political crisis amid Covid-19 transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic? 

Will Malaccans refuse to vote because they no longer believe their votes matter or because they believe that their vote will not influence the outcome of the election?

If I was a Malaccan voter, I will seize this opportunity to exercise my voting rights. 

MY VOTE MATTERS and my one vote can influence the outcome of the election. I will hold the candidate that I have voted for accountable to the promises he or she made.

#SayNo2FrogsColony

All Barisan Nasional candidates for the Malacca state election have signed statutory declarations which prevent them from party-hopping. Some cynics have criticized this move by saying that these statutory declarations have “no teeth” and will be of no consequence. 

Well, let me share a thing or two about the consequence of breaching these statutory declarations.

Executing a statutory declaration is a serious matter. Making a false statutory declaration amounts to a criminal offence under s3 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1960. 

Candidates who use any declaration known to them to be false may be punished under s193 of the Penal Code.

BN candidates, having received BN’s support, backing and assistance in this election, if they party hop, it is tantamount to cheating. 

Cheating is a criminal offence and punishable under the Penal Code. Errant candidates are obligated to compensate the Coalition for the financial resources and goodwill that they have benefited from the Coalition for the campaign.

These are the deterrent strategies that we have put in place for our candidates, and we are serious about executing these statutory declarations should anyone party-hop after the election.

The onus is on the candidates to assure voters that they will not party-hop. 

Enough with the debate on legality. Enough with citing the right of association when the mere ethical responsibility is abandoned by betraying voters who have voted you in. 

The question is no longer one about the constitution or law. It is about moral obligation. 

Is it ethical? Is it the gentlemanly thing to do? Is personal gain far more important than political turmoil within the state and nation during a pandemic?

Candidates and parties can easily allay voters’ fears by taking a firm stand against party-hopping in their pre-election manifesto, through a gentleman’s handshake between parties not to accept frogs, or making pledges not to party-hop.

When a politician party-hops, it is known to everyone, and immediate action can be taken. But, when a politician engages in corrupt practices, a much lengthier process is needed to prove their wrong-doings and by the time a court trial is over, the government may have changed multiple times (pun intended).

#HybridBill #RUUHibrid

I will not stop pursuing an anti-hopping bill for as long as I am a Member of Parliament.

I submitted a second private member’s bill to parliament five days before the Malacca election. The newly submitted hybrid bill marries the anti-hopping and recall election bills, with the simple aim of putting a stop to party hopping and returning confidence to voters.

I hope that passing a bill such as this to curb the trend of party-hopping in Malaysian politics will restore decent politics to the country. This bill will also ensure political stability post-elections, and ensure the economy is not affected because of political precariousness.

Safety first

I would like to personally extend encouragement to Malaccan voters for the state election this weekend as they go out to vote while adhering to safety measures and SOPs. 

I encourage you to exercise your right and responsibility to vote and I stand with you in putting a stop to unscrupulous frogs through this hybrid bill. There comes a point in time where we need to turn our complaints and opinions into action.

The saying goes that talk is cheap. As Malaysians, let us be a nation that walks the talk.

Together, we keep our elected representatives accountable and uphold the democracy that is the birth right of all Malaysians. Casting votes is not just a right, but a responsibility. - Mkini

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Azalina Othman Said is Pengerang MP. 

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