There Should Be No More Talk Of Having The Numbers

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In my personal opinion, a government that is constantly aware that it can be voted out or ousted is a government that will always be on its toes.
It will be a government that will constantly want to perform responsibly, efficiently and with good results. The reason for that is when they are performing well, there is a less likely chance of them being ousted. So, to me, this is true democracy and being answerable to the people.
So, having a government that is too dominant, that stays in power for more than 60 years is a little bit ridiculous. This can lead to a superiority complex where one can do no wrong and whatever one says goes.
It is good if a country can always keep their government on their toes knowing that if they are not performing, then it will be replaced with a better-performing one.
Malaysia managed to do just that in 2018 when, during the general election, Pakatan Harapan won enough votes to unseat BN who had been the government for more than 60 years. It was a landmark moment in the country and for its people. The realisation that the people’s votes counted was important for the psyche of the country.
However, after two years, a trend started to form. Changing the government outside of a general election started to become a common occurrence. Parties who claim that they have the support of the majority of MPs would meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and they would form the government.
Technically, this is not wrong. In fact, it goes in line with what I believe democracy is supposed to be too.
Of course, the best way would be to bring it up in Parliament via a vote of no confidence or something to that effect so that the people can actually see the proof of support.
This tends to happen in many other parliamentary democracies around the world such as in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. I have no beef with that. The MPs are who the people voted to make their decisions anyway.
Opposition MPsThe only problem is the question of the integrity of the MPs and political parties when it comes to their decision-making. Are they making decisions based on what is best for the people who voted for them and the country, or are they making decisions based on their personal desires of wanting to be in power?
Although we can never know for sure, the people still have to right to question the decisions.
Country’s progress
The changing of governments outside of an election in Malaysia has become so common that it’s like the changing of the guards at Istana Negara. Everyone just comes and looks in amusement.
It has happened too often that everyone is questioning the stability and integrity of the country’s governance. And now, the talk of parties with ‘the numbers’ is rife in the public sphere again.
On one hand, as I have mentioned, the changing of governments is a positive sign of a healthy democracy. The ability to hold leaders accountable is a fundamental aspect of any democratic system. But as I have mentioned too, the frequent changes have led to instability and uncertainty.
This also has a negative impact on the progress of the country when it comes to consistent long-term policy-making and development
During the previous term (post-2018 general election), the most stable and effective government was when Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob became the prime minister. This came after three changes in the administration and it was decided that enough was enough.
All the MPs, including the opposition, decided to form an agreement. They would support Ismail and compromise on their objectives for the sake of stability.
This was the government that eventually ended the term through dissolution and a fresh general election last year. The election of this one wasn’t as clear cut either and the parties, led by Anwar Ibrahim’s Harapan, had to also negotiate and form agreements that led to the ‘unity government’ that we have now. One can say that it isn’t as secure, but I think a situation like this is quite ideal.
Prime Minister Anwar IbrahimIt is ideal because it can only be a win-win situation for everyone, including the people. All the majority parties can bring their manifestos to the table, with compromises of course, and the people benefit. With integrity, responsibility and respect, this can definitely work and if it is stable and efficient, everyone should be happy, keep to their part of the bargain and support the agreement.
But if parties start politicking with the intention of wrangling power for power’s sake, then we will all regress and go back to square one. What happens to the well-being of the people? Instability will rear its ugly head and nothing will be achieved just like how it happened after the Sheraton Move took place back in 2020. Honestly, the idea of all that happening again is just too frustrating for me.
Maybe we need to put in place new laws such as the anti-hopping law to prevent incidents like the Sheraton Move from happening. But then again, I still believe that the changing of governments through the forming of coalitions in Parliament is good for democracy.
So admittedly, this is quite complicated and a lot of thought has to be put into a decision like this so as not to adversely affect democracy.
The best is for us to have politicians and leaders who have integrity, responsibility and the goodwill to serve the people. When our moral compass is pointing in the right direction, then all problems can be solved. I know this is a bit idealistic, but I call on all politicians and leaders to do the right thing for the people and the country and put aside selfish intentions.
While changing governments can be seen as a sign of a healthy democracy, frequent changes can also mean weakness in the country’s political and governance systems. If we want to have stability and progress, there needs to be greater will for accountability and political reform.
At the end of the day, the goal is to create a strong democracy that serves Malaysia and all of its people. - Mkini
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary film-maker, journalist and academic. The Sheraton move really frustrated him but maybe after November 2022, he can start feeling better again. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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