Get cracking on forming new govt, says analyst

 

After the general election on Saturday, no party or coalition won enough seats to form a new government by itself.

KUALA LUMPUR: Political leaders need to act quickly and wisely to secure the cooperation in the formation of a new government, says a constitutional expert.

The analyst said a protracted crisis should be avoided following the general election, in which no single party has secured a parliamentary majority.

Fathi Yusof, a law lecturer and constitutional expert at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said political leaders need to find a way to identify areas of cooperation to establish a government as soon as possible.

The appointment of a new prime minister should not be delayed, and any form of negotiation should be concluded as soon as possible.

“Even though each coalition has different views, they need to be open and prioritise the interests of the country and the people as the basis for the successful establishment of the government,” he said.

The general election has produced a hung Parliament, for the first time since elections were held after independence.

Fathi said a multi-coalition government was among the options available to create a legitimate administration led by a prime minister with the support of the majority.

The main coalitions in the peninsula, Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan must mobilise the coalition-building effort but the Sabah and Sarawak coalitions such as Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah could not be ignored.

He said coalition-building would not trigger provisions against party hopping, which applies only when an MP leaves a party or ceases to be a member for reasons set by party rules.

Election analyst G Manimaran said a new government was needed quickly so that administrative efforts could resume, including the tabling of the 2023 budget.

Istana Negara has given political parties until 2pm on Monday to carry out negotiations on forming a coalition government and to submit the name of an MP commanding a majority for appointment by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as prime minister. - FMT