First-past-the-post system still relevant in Malaysia, Dewan told

 Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said says the system is easily comprehensible and more focused.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the government welcomed any suggestion to improve the country’s electoral system. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The “first-past-the-post” (FPTP) system remains relevant in the Malaysian context and should be maintained, Azalina Othman Said told the Dewan Rakyat.

Citing a 2011 report by the Election Commission, the law and institutional reform minister said the FPTP system was also adopted by large democracies such as India and the UK.

“This system is easily comprehensible and more focused, and it allows for a closer relationship between the voters and the elected representative,” she said in a written reply.

Azalina was responding to Oscar Ling (PH-Sibu) who wanted to know if the government was considering the “proportional representation” system.

She said the government welcomed any suggestion to improve the country’s electoral system.

“Any proposals must be reviewed comprehensively and take into account policy, the law and the impact on the country’s political landscape.”

FPTP is an electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins, while under proportional representation a party gets seats in Parliament based on the percentage of votes it receives nationwide. - FMT