INSTEAD of focusing on who wins or who loses in tomorrow’s six state elections, thinking voters would probably ask, what is in the best interest of the country?
And what is in the best interest of a functioning democracy?
A Dewan Rakyat, or State Legislative Assembly, should be representative of every rakyat – the majority and the minority.
But the fundamental role of these assemblies is to provide the compulsory checks and balances that are the basis of a legitimate, democratically elected government.
With Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) joining forces, as an illustration of mature politics, we have a situation of less representation and oversight.
Of the 56 seats in Selangor, PH has 40 seats and BN has five. Of the 40 seats in Penang, PH has 33, while BN has two.
More proportionately, of the 36 seats in Kedah, Perikatan Nasional (PN), which administers the state, has 21 seats; similarly, in Terengganu, the ruling PN government has 22 of the 32 seats.
In PAS-led Kelantan, the ruling PN coalition has 38 of the 45 seats.
Concerningly, there is zero opposition in Negri Sembilan, where all 36 seats are shared by PH (20) and BN (16).
As we have seen before, when a party becomes too powerful and opposition voices are muted or absent, there is a tendency to push through legislation and policies that are not necessarily good for the masses.
No one is held to account as there is no one to ask the pertinent questions.
However, perhaps in a situation where political parties are compelled to work together, as in the case of PH and BN, a check and balance could exist despite them being on the same side.
Certain decisions may go against the policies, belief systems, and manifestos of the respective parties. And they realise that any disagreements could result in the collapse of their government and their losing power altogether.
Politicians have too much self-interest to take a “scorched earth” approach. And with the anti-hopping laws in place, there are guarantees that the people’s mandate – whatever they may be, is respected to a certain extent. – August 11, 2023
Terence Fernandez is Group Editor in Chief of Big Boom Media which publishes Scoop