Friday, June 7, 2019

恢复地方选举,而非种族恐惧

新闻文告,发布于2018年12月14日
首相敦马哈迪在一场地方议会活动上表明希望联盟政府不会恢复地方选举,群议社对他的言论感到失望。地方选举曾是组成马来西亚民主核心的一部分,直到1965年突然中断,并于1976年随着地方政府法令通过后遭正式废除。因着地方选举废除,马来西亚人民本质上被剥夺了投选地方议员的权利,这是违背民主原则的。因此,群议社认为,地方选举应该尽早恢复。
首相主张,地方选举可能带来负面效果,在城乡地方议会之间形成分歧。首先,群议社要强调,出自公平自由选举的政治委托所产生的,将会是无可非议的民主结果。事实上,比起现行委任议员,透过地方选举所投选出的地方议员,具有更高的政治正当性和对选民的问责性。
而且,地方选举可能造成种族冲突的这一说法是毫无根据且可轻易反驳的。自2008年起,马来西亚人民见证了多次并未形成种族暴力的州政权更替,以及,最近全国大选的联邦政权更替也显示了马来西亚人民倾向接受一切选举结果,不会诉诸暴力手段。
新上任的国际贸易副部长兼万宜国会议员王建民亦于一篇2015年的文章里正确地说明了,城市议会的族裔构成已经显著改变。例如,2010年人口普查资料显示,吉隆坡的巫裔人口(45.9%)多于华裔人口(43.2%)。副部长甚至宣称,在3个市政厅、9市政局和37个市议会当中,只有6个是华裔人数超过巫裔的。这也印证了地方选举不会导致华裔在城市地区的地方议席里占多数的论点。
群议社也意识到,首相在同一场合也警告地方政府勿滥权,甚至说出名句「权力导致腐败,绝对权力导致绝对腐败」。然而,只要地方议员依旧是由州政府委任的,马来西亚的地方政府就一直都会更倾向发生腐败。委任制度无法监督地方政府决策,因为地方议员只向州政府的执政党负责。所以,若首相真心要防止腐败和滥权,他应该立即恢复马来西亚废弃已久的“第三票”。
除此之外,上届大选之前地方选举的中坚支持者,如今对于首相的新近宣布装聋作哑,这现象也令群议社感到不满。例如,上述由王建民议员执笔的文章,其实是为驳斥哈迪阿旺在2015年针对地方选举提出类似的种族顾虑所作。再者,现任财政部部长在任职槟州首长时,也曾尝试透过法律管道恢复地方选举。其实,前槟州首长一向的解释是,只要1976年地方政府法令没有修改,州政府就无法单方面推行地方选举。因此,既然联邦政府已经改变,希盟就再也没可推托的借口,而地方选举的支持者现在一副事不关己的态度也是完全不可接受的。同样的,房屋与地方政府部长也说过,地方选举会在三年内落实。总的来说,希盟内阁里不乏支持恢复地方选举者。群议社相当关切:如果首相的观点就是盖棺论定,不受内阁或国会后座议员挑战,那么目前的内阁跟之前的国阵内阁将毫无分别。
最后,群议社也反对这一论点:以地方选举不是希盟宣言的承诺为由,无限延后恢复地方选举。群议社必须再次提醒希盟政府,这些托辞说好听是幼稚,说难听则是虚伪。希盟宣言写明“希望联盟致力于加强地方民主,以及改善地方政府向地方社群的问责制”,而且唯有恢复地方选举,马来西亚地方政府才可能具有地方民主的特征与一定程度的问责性。因此,除非落实正式的地方选举,否则马来西亚的地方政府终究都不是来自人民或属于人民的。
群议社
** 群议社是一个由知识分子、写作人和社会行动者组成的松散网络。我们的目标是通过批判性的分析和倡议,立基于民主和良好治理的原则,打造一个民主进步的马来西亚。更多资料请浏览http://www.facebook.com/agora.msia agoramalaysia@blogspot.com

Restore Local Elections, Not Racial Fear

Agora Society Statement on 12 December 2018
Agora Society is disappointed at the statement made by the current Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at a local government event for insisting there would be no reinstatement of local elections under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. Local elections formed an integral component of Malaysia’s democracy until it was unceremoniously suspended in the 1965 and formally abolished with the passing of Local Government Act in 1976. By abolishing local elections, Malaysians are essentially being denied the right to vote for its local councillors which contradicts the principle of democracy. Therefore, Agora Society is of the view that local elections should be restored as soon as possible.
The Prime Minister reasoned that local elections may produce the wrong result which will create a division between urban and rural local councils. Firstly, Agora Society wishes to emphasize that a political mandate coming from a free and fair local elections would only lead to a democratic result which is certainly not wrong in any manner. In fact, local councillors that are elected through local elections would have more political legitimacy and accountability towards its voters unlike the appointed councillors Malaysia currently has now.
Also, the suggestion of an impending racial conflict due to local elections is baseless and could be easily refuted. Since 2008, Malaysians have had witnessed a change of state governments numerous times without descending to racial violence and the change of federal government from the most recent General Election further exemplifies Malaysian’s propensity towards accepting any election results without resorting to physical violence.
The newly appointed Deputy Minister of International Trade and MP of Bangi YB Ong Kian Ming has also correctly pointed out that the ethnic composition of urban city councils have changed significantly through an article dated 2015. For example, the 2010 census data shows that the Malay population (45.9%) within Kuala Lumpur City Hall is more than the Chinese population (43.2%). The Deputy Minister even proclaimed that out of the 3 city halls, 9 city councils and 37 municipal councils in Malaysia, only 6 have populations where the Chinese outnumber the Malays. This gives further credence to the argument that local elections might not produce an outcome where Chinese would occupy most of the local council seats in urban areas.
Agora Society was also aware that at the same event, the Prime Minister has also warned the local authorities not to simply abuse its power and even uttering the famous phrase 'power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely'. However, the local authorities in Malaysia would always be more susceptible to instances of corruption and abuse of power so long as local councillors are appointed by state government. The appointment system falls short of checking the decisions made by the local government as the only entity
that the local councillors are only accountable to are the governing parties of the state government. Therefore, if the Prime Minister is sincere in preventing corruption and abuse of power, he should immediately restore Malaysian’s long abandoned ‘third vote’.
Furthermore, Agora Society is also dismayed by the fact that strong advocates of local elections prior to the last General Election has seemingly turned a deaf ear or feeling indifferent towards the Prime Minister latest announcement. For instance, the aforementioned article written by YB Ong Kian Ming was actually a rebuttal towards Hadi Awang who has expressed similar racial concerns towards having local elections in Malaysia in 2015.
Other than that, the current Minister of Finance also had a history of trying to restore local elections through judiciary means when he was still the Chief Minister of Penang. In fact, the former Chief Minister of Penang used to explain that the state government is powerless to unilaterally push for local elections as long as the Local Government Act 1976 is not amended. Thus, with the change of federal government, PH has ran out of pretexts and advocates of local elections acting lukewarm towards this issue now is wholly unacceptable.
Equally, the Housing and Local Government Minister has also said that local elections will be implemented in 3 years. To sum up, there is no shortage of people in the PH’s cabinet that are supportive of the idea of reinstating local elections. Agora Society is concerned that the current Cabinet would bear no difference to the previous BN’s cabinet if the Prime Minister’s views are deemed to be final and not properly challenged within the cabinet or by the government backbenchers in the Parliament.
Finally, Agora Society also opposed to the idea that restoration of local elections to be deferred indefinitely because it was not stated as one of the promises from PH’s Manifesto. Agora Society ought to remind the PH government again such excuses are at best naive and at worst disingenuous. PH’s Manifesto has explicitly stated that Pakatan Harapan is committed to strengthen local democracy and the PBT’s accountability to the local community will be improved, and only by reinstating local elections where the local governments in Malaysia would have any semblance of local democracy and a certain degree of accountability. Therefore, until there is a proper local election in place, Malaysia will continue to have a local government that is not by the people or of the people.
Agora Society Malaysia
12.12.2018
*Agora Society Malaysia is a loose network of individuals who believe in the principles of democracy and good governance. More information please visit http://agoramalaysia.blogspot.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/agora.msia

联合文告: 促请州政府恢复龟咯岛国家公园之地位,并承诺极力保护此湿地和其他国家公园

联合文告,发布于2018年12月9日
我等支持联署的非政府组织特此呼吁柔佛州务大臣 - 奥斯曼和柔佛州行政委员会立即恢复龟咯岛国家公园的地位。我们也要求大臣和所有行政议员承诺,不会再有任何柔佛境内的国家公园被撤除其地位,如Endau-Rompin Peta,Endau-Rompin Selai,Tanjung Piai,Gunung Ledang,Taman Laut Sultan Iskandar和 Sungai Pulai拉姆萨尔湿地。
这些国家公园是我们自然遗产的一部分,保护它们即是保留了生态系统的多样性,将其保留给本国与世人后代。 一旦失去这些国家公园,当中丰富的动植物将会灭绝,它们是无价的。龟咯岛是马来西亚7个拉姆萨尔(Ramsar)湿地之一。这意味着马来西亚是“湿地公约” (称为“拉姆萨尔公约”)的“缔约方”。这是一项政府间的条约,旨在为保护和善用湿地及其资源提供了规范。
湿地为我们提供水源,它们保护我们免受洪水、干旱和其他灾害的侵害,并为全球数百万人提供食物和生计。 龟咯岛是一个完整保留的红树林岛屿,这在马来西亚是极为罕见的。相比沿海或河畔的红树林,东南亚的红树林岛屿因经济发展而更为频密地消失。柔佛州政府有责任确保这些自然遗产受到法律的保护,任何商业发展都不应侵犯其边界。在未征询民意下撤除这些土地的国家公园地位或剥夺其受保护地位等同于背叛人民对州政府的信任。
另外,我们支持2018年12月6日柔佛州立法议会通过的紧急动议,要求州政府复审先前公布的宪报。我们相信所有的柔佛子民和马来西亚人都会对复审公报,甚至对撤销公报的决定表示欢迎。我们希望大臣和所有行政议员能够从这个不幸的事件吸取教训,即在采取任何重大政策之前咨询所有利益相关者,并确保整个程序更加透明和负责任。州政府应当向民众发布完整报告,交代此事件的来龙去脉。在十四届大选之后的新政治环境中,马来西亚人对希盟政府的期望更高。人民希望新政府能够咨询人民的意见,并对人民的担忧作出即刻的回应。
联署团体:
1 群议社Agora Society Malaysia
2 Aliran
3 当今峇南Baramkini
4 Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
5 Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4)
6 Childline Malaysia
7 Eden Welfare Charity Society
8 ENGAGE
9 Friends of Penang Botanic Gardens
10 GEMA Johor
11 Grassroots
12 Green Earth Society
13 Himpunan Hijau
14 IKRAM Negeri Johor
15 Institut Kesedaran Rakyat (IKR)
16 International Women's Peace Group (IWPG) Malaysia
17 Jobada Johor
18 Johor People's Action Group (JPAG)
19 柔南黄色行动小组Johor Yellow Flame (JYF)
20 隆雪华堂KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
21 Kluang Bersih
22 LIFEZONE
23 LLG Cultural Development Centre
24 Malacca Johor Diocese Catholic Lawyers Guild
25 Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation
26 改变砂拉越运动Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS)
27 Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
28 PEKA Malaysia
29 Penang Forum
30 Penang Heritage Trust
31 People Ideas Culture
32 Perak Heritage Society
33 Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA)
34 Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
35 Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (GRASS Malaysia)
36 Pertubuhan Kasih dan Sokongan (Anbum AaTharavumAAa) Johor
37 Pusat KOMAS
38 人民之声Sahabat Rakyat
39 Sam Addams
40 Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
41 Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur (SKL)
42 人民之友Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
43 Sustainable Development Network M'sia (SUSDEN M'sia)
44 Tamil Foundation
45 赵明福民主基金会Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
46 Toy Libraries Malaysia
47 United Chinese School Alumni Associations of Malaysia (UCSAAM)
48 UUM Progressive Front

Kenyataan Akhbar Bersama: Memelihara PULAU KUKUP DAN SEMUA TAMAN NEGARA untuk generasi masa depan!

Kenyataan Akhbar Bersama, 9 Disember 2018
Kami, Pertubuhan Bukan Kerajaan (NGO) yang bertandatangan di bawah ini, menyeru Yang Berhormat Menteri Besar Johor, Dato'Osman Sapian dan Majlis Eksekutif Johor, membalikkan dengan segera pewartaan tentang pembatalan status Pulau Kukup sebagai Taman Negara dan memulihkan statusnya.
Kami juga mahukan Menteri Besar dan Exconya supaya memberikan akurjanji yang ikhlas iaitu tidak akan ada lagi pembatalan status taman-taman negara lain di Johor seperti Endau-Rompin Peta, Endau-Rompin Selai, Tanjung Piai, Gunung Ledang, Taman Laut Sultan Iskandar dan tapak Ramsar Sungai Pulai.
Taman-taman negara ini adalah sebahagian daripada warisan semulajadi kita dan pelindungan taman tersebut mengekalkan kepelbagaian ekosistem untuk dinikmati generasi masa depan kita, baik dari dalam dan luar negara. Kehilangan flora dan fauna kaya yang terdapat di taman negara ini tidak dapat dipulihkan dan oleh itu adalah sangat ternilai.
Pulau Kukup adalah tapak Ramsar (salah satu daripada 7 tapak Ramsar di Malaysia), yang bermaksud bahawa Malaysia adalah “Pihak Berjanji" kepada Konvensyen Mengenai Tanah Lembap (disebut Konvensyen Ramsar). Perjanjian antara kerajaan ini menyediakan rangka kerja pemuliharaan dan pemanfaatan tanah basah dan sumbernya.
Tanah lembap ini menyediakan air, melindungi kita dari banjir, kemarau dan bencana lain, pada masa yang sama menyediakan makanan dan mata pencarian kepada berjuta-juta manusia di seluruh dunia. Pulau Kukup merupakan contoh unik pulau bakau asli yang jarang terdapat di Malaysia. Di Asia Tenggara, kehilangan pulau-pulau bakau lebih kerap berlaku atas nama pembangunan berbanding dengan bakau pantai atau sungai.
Kerajaan Negeri Johor mempunyai kewajipan untuk memastikan warisan semulajadi ini dilindungi oleh undang-undang dan tidak ada pembangunan komersil yang melampaui sempadan mereka. Membatalkan status tanah-tanah pelindungan ini adalah mengkhianati amanah rakyat letak pada Kerajaan Negeri.
Kami sokong usul yang diluluskan oleh Dewan Undangan Negeri Johor pada 6 Disember, 2018, bagi Kerajaan Negeri mengkaji semula pewartaan mengenai pembatalan status Taman Negara Pulau Kukup ini.
Kami yakin semakan dan pembalikan pembatalan akan disambut dengan baik oleh semua rakyat Johor dan Malaysia.
Kami berharap MB dan Exco Negeri akan belajar daripada episod malang ini bahawa mereka perlu merujuk kepada semua pihak berkepentingan, menjadi lebih telus dan bertanggungjawab sebelum melaksanakan sebarang dasar utama. Laporan penuh mengenai kejadian yang membawa kepada pembatalan status Taman Negara Pulau Kukup patut didedahkan kepada orang awan. Dalam lanskap politik baru selepas PRU14, rakyat Malaysia mempunyai harapan yang lebih tinggi untuk kerajaan Pakatan Harapan untuk menjadi lebih konsultatif dan responsif kepada isu kebimbangan rakyat.
Kenyataan di atas diiktiraf secara keseluruhannya oleh pertubuhan-pertubuhan masyarakat sivil yang berikut:
1 Agora Society Malaysia
2 Aliran
3 Baramkini
4 Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
5 Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4)
6 Childline Malaysia
7 Eden Welfare Charity Society
8 ENGAGE
9 Friends of Penang Botanic Gardens
10 GEMA Johor
11 Grassroots
12 Green Earth Society
13 Himpunan Hijau
14 IKRAM Negeri Johor
15 Institut Kesedaran Rakyat (IKR)
16 International Women's Peace Group (IWPG) Malaysia
17 Jobada Johor
18 Johor People's Action Group (JPAG)
19 Johor Yellow Flame (JYF)
20 KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
21 Kluang Bersih
22 LIFEZONE
23 LLG Cultural Development Centre
24 Malacca Johor Diocese Catholic Lawyers Guild
25 Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation
26 Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS)
27 Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
28 PEKA Malaysia
29 Penang Forum
30 Penang Heritage Trust
31 People Ideas Culture
32 Perak Heritage Society
33 Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA)
34 Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
35 Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (GRASS Malaysia)
36 Pertubuhan Kasih dan Sokongan (Anbum AaTharavumAAa) Johor
37 Pusat KOMAS
38 Sahabat Rakyat
39 Sam Addams
40 Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
41 Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur (SKL)
42 Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
43 Sustainable Development Network M'sia (SUSDEN M'sia)
44 Tamil Foundation
45 Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
46 Toy Libraries Malaysia
47 United Chinese School Alumni Associations of Malaysia (UCSAAM)
48 UUM Progressive Front

君主不应介入政治

群议社文告,2018年11月22日于吉隆坡发出。
群议社对于各州苏丹介入政治事务的趋势感到极度担忧,这不但违背君主立宪体制的虚位元首本质,也破坏民主制度的基本精神。
民主社会必须循法而治,默许人治超越法治,乃蔑视民主法治下“经同意的统治”(governed by consent)的原则。任何政策的制订或修改必须经过民选代表在议会审议讨论,再通过政府执行政策。摒除这个程序民主的任何做法,都违背人民的集体意志。
我们认为,君主有权评论政府政策,但其意见必须经过议会或政府审议及批准方可实行。这个程序民主的精神,自独立以来已在联邦和州层次被贯彻。国会辩论最高元首御词,州议会辩论苏丹御词,就是君主评论政策的最佳体现。
雪兰莪州宪法第LV(1), (1A)和(2)条文清楚阐明,苏丹必须根据州行政议会的劝告采取行动,除了几个情况下苏丹才有酌处权:委任州务大臣、拒绝解散州议会、要求皇室会议讨论关于苏丹的特别地位或宗教仪式、与作为伊斯兰首长或马来人民俗有关的事务、委任皇室继承人、授勋及嘉奖制度或保养皇宫事务。显而易见,州宪法不允许苏丹直接介入州或地方政府事务。(Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Selangor 1959, 文告附带截文)
我们珍惜君主作为国民团结的象征。正因如此,君主更应该超越政治,避免卷入党派利益之争。君主也应在各种争议中维持超然公正的角色,避免犯下最微小的政治错误,这是保护君主名誉的最佳方式。
群议社强调,各方必须尊重地方政府的自主性,包括其制定的多元语文政策。无论是州政府、联邦政府或君主都不应任意干涉地方政府的决策。若其它民选或非民选机构对地方政府政策有所微言,它们或可通过正式管道与地方政府磋商,或上法庭挑战地方政府的决定, 由司法权来解决争论。
雪州苏丹下令拆除莎阿南市议会安置的双语路牌,实际上触及君主是否逾越宪赋权限的问题。不久前柔佛州苏丹批评柔佛依斯干达公主城市议员陈伟健使用双语公函, 警告该议员若做不好就辞职,也是君主介入政治的现象。
群议社
** 群议社是一个由知识分子、写作人和社会行动者组成的松散网络。我们的目标是通过批判性的分析和倡议,立基于民主和良好治理的原则,打造一个民主进步的马来西亚。更多资料请浏览http://www.facebook.com/agora.msiaagoramalaysia@blogspot.com

The Monarchs should stay above politics

Press Statement by Agora Society on 22 Nov 2018 in Kuala Lumpur
The Agora Society views with grave concern the recent trend in which sultans of the various states are increasingly involved in political affairs. Not only does it go against the role of the Malay rulers as the ceremonial figurehead under constitutional monarchy, it also undermines the fundamental spirit of democracy.
Given that a democratic society is one that is based on the rule of law, to acquiesce in the rule of man is to make a travesty of the principle of governed by consent under a democratic system. All policies and their amendments ought to be subject to deliberation and debate by elected lawmakers in the legislature before they can be implemented by the government. Any act that trivializes this democratic process runs counter to the collective will of the people.
We are of the opinion that the sultans are entitled to comment on government policies, but their views can only be acted upon after they have been reviewed and approved by the legislature or the government. Since independence, this democratic process has long been strictly adhered to at the federal and state levels, as manifest perfectly in the parliamentary debate on the Agung’s speech and the state assembly debate on the Sultan’s speech.
The article LV(1), (1A) and (2) of the Selangor State Constitution state crystal clear that the Sultan “shall act in accordance with the advice of the Executive Council”, except for several situations in which the Sultan is given discretionary power, including the appointment of a menteri besar, refusal to dissolve the state assembly, request for the Council of the Royal Court to deliberate on the special position of the Sultan or religious ceremonies, issues pertaining to the Sultan as the head of Islam or Malay customs, appointment of an heir to the throne, awarding of honours and dignities, as well as the maintenance of the royal palaces. Quite clearly, the state constitution does not provide for the Sultan to interfere directly in state or local government affairs.
It is precisely because we treasure the monarchs as the symbol of national unity that we consider it of paramount importance that they should stay above politics and avoid being drawn into conflicts over partisan interests. The monarchs should also maintain a neutral position that transcends all kinds of disputes so as to steer clear of even the smallest political mistake, for there is no better way to safeguard the reputation of the monarchs.
The decree by the Sultan of Selangor to remove the bilingual road signs in Shah Alam, the state capital, has indeed raised the issue as to whether the monarch has acted beyond constitutional jurisdiction. Recently, the Sultan of Johor also reprimanded Chan Wei Kjhan, an Iskandar Puteri local councillor, for issuing a bilingual letter. The Sultan’s warning that the said councillor should resign if he could not perform well represents another example of royal interference in politics.
The Agora Society would like to emphasise that every party should respect the autonomy of all the local authorities, including the multilingual policies that they have enacted. Be it the state government, federal government or the monarchs, none of them should interfere arbitrarily in the decisions made by local councils. Should any of the elected or non-elected institutions be dissatisfied with a certain local policy, they may seek to address it via the official channel by discussing with the local authorities, or challenge the said local policy in a judicial court and let the judiciary resolve the dispute.
Agora Society
Agora Society is a loose network of intellectuals, writers and activists who advance democratic progress in Malaysia through critical analyses and propositions based on the principles of democracy and good governance. Please visit our page at https://www.facebook.com/agora.msia or http://agoramalaysia.blogspot.com/ for more information

Reform requires not just proper politicians but proper institutions as well

Agora Society's Statement on 7 June 2019
(photo credit: NewMalaysianPost.com)
Agora Society is ready to give goodwill to whoever is appointed to helm key public institution, especially when the person is determined to reform Malaysia, and has a proven track record of performing his/her duty professionally, impartially and without fear or favour. Latheefa Koya, who is appointed as the new chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) generally fits the bill.
However, the process of her appointment, though it might be lawful as it is the prerogative of Prime Minister, lacks transparency and accountability. The Prime Minister himself has even conceded that the decision of appointing our new Chief of MACC is his alone.
Lest the government forgets, they were widely viewed as having taken Putrajaya on the slew of institutional reforms which they vehemently promised. Promise no. 14 of the manifesto has stated that the ‘appointment of these Commissioners must be validated democratically by Parliament.’ Other than that, promise no. 16 also spelled out that ‘key national positions such as appointments to the Human Rights Commission, Election Commission of Malaysia, the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission, and Judicial Appointments Commission must be approved by a suitable parliamentary committee. This will reduce the ability of the Prime Minister to intervene in these important appointments.’
We understood that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on major public appointments is set up mainly for such purpose, and it was rather unfortunate that PSC was not even notified, never mind consulted. As it stands, the appointment of key official is still very much the same and we are worry about how much power are still in the hands of the Prime Minister without any check and balance. The new government should also be reminded by the fact that the previous government met its demise partly because of absolute power wielded by the previous Prime Minister which leads to a series of corruptible practices.
Furthermore, it is undeniable that the Prime Minister is appointing a MACC chief which was tainted by political partisanship, and it is a political appointment in any sense. Would the new MACC chief be courageous enough to investigate any of the Pakatan Harapan politicians - or even Mahathir himself – she is ostensibly associated with. Having said that, Latheefa would also alleged with political biasness if she chose to show leniency towards any politicians she favours, regardless if it is a correct or wrong call. Equally, investigating politicians that Latheefa has previously shown misgivings might give the public the impression of political revenge. To sum up, whoever was seen as a political appointee in key institution proves to be political divisive and lacks public legitimacy.
The role of the Major Public Appointments committee entails that any key public institutions’ candidates should be reviewed and vetted by the committee itself to ensure a check on executive appointments by the legislative. If the new government has no intention of allowing the committee to fulfil his task, we Malaysians should rightly wonder and question why the committee was created at the first place.
Also, if the government is committed about reform, they need to show their political will by going through the legislative process to amend the process of selecting and scrutinizing candidates to be more transparent and accountable. For example, the opinions of the committee and subsequently Parliament should be taken into account so that such appointment could command the confidence of the executive, parliament and the public. However, what the latest episode has shown was that the selection process was a unilateral decision made the Prime Minister himself.
As the saying goes, actions always speak louder than words. While we are heartened by the fact that the new MACC chief has proven to be a fighter against political corruption and a tireless human rights activist, yet we should equally be reserved until she has indeed performed well with the position she was appointed. Malaysia has been let down by many false dawns who had done so in the past, thus it is only logical the echoes of praises should be withheld for now.
If we could take one lesson from the previous General Elections, it is that Malaysians should no longer believe in rule of man, instead democratic institutions should be reformed, enhanced and protected to ensure no politicians could hold political power that was beyond his/her mandate. ‘Benevolent ruler’ politics is a thing of the past and as long as power corrupts, institutions must be always in place to check the power of the executives. Thus, it is imperative to urge the Pakatan Harapan to be serious in honouring the promises in the manifesto, especially those concerning institutional reforms to ensure proper check and balance among the 3 branches of power. Appointing 'good persons' alone by whip and fancy through the decision of Prime Minister alone might generate 'feel-good' factor only on to a narrow section of the public – especially those that are associated with the appointee. Yet a MACC chief should be accountable to all Malaysians and such appointment does not generate public confidence and it does not conceal the fact that such flawed appointment process harkens back to the days of BN where the Prime Minister’s authority and power is unchallengeable.

Agora Society
Agora Society is a loose network of intellectuals, writers and activists who advance democratic progress in Malaysia through critical analyses and propositions based on the principles of democracy and good governance. Please visit our page at http://www.facebook.com/agora.msia or http://agoramalaysia.blogspot.com/ for more information