The current political crisis needs a strong interim solution
Since the Special Sitting of Parliament opened on 26 July 2021, all the events that took place were not only special but extraordinary and unnatural.
Although the issues raised for discussion were important and of public interest, all debates and discussions were adjourned in the name of COVID-19. COVID-19 is PN’s most familiar and consistent ally, where the same reasoning has been used since Sheraton’s move to power.
Various obstacles were overcome on the same premise, from allowing the Budget to be passed, to allowing an emergency to be proclaimed and Parliament to be adjourned.
Now it is being used once again to postpone discussions on the issue of emergency ordered by DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Agong on July 29 which carried a very sad tone and is now interpreted as a rebellious PN by various quarters.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) realizes that the Emergency Ordinance can only be repealed in two ways, namely the Yang di-Pertuan Agong gives his consent or Parliament votes to repeal it. It is clear that these two things are not the case.
The current political crisis is so serious that there is no way out unless a general election is held and a new government is formed. Nevertheless, this is impossible, and not supported by the people because of the experience after the Sabah State Election.
Therefore, PSM would like to propose:
- The Parliament sits within the next one week to elect a new Speaker of the House of Representatives is held. This is because the incumbent Speaker is unable to carry out his duties fairly and honestly. Moreover, the way he handled special sessions of parliament by not allowing members of parliament to debate critical matters has made the most prominent public institutions in our country turned into a laughing stock subjected to ridicule and jokes.
- After electing a new Speaker, the Members of the House of Representatives be allowed to elect a Prime Minister from among the Members of the House in order to determine among the existing leaders, who has a clear majority. We have long been rumored that certain people have a majority but it has never been tested through a single vote in Parliament. We are of the view that providing a sworn account letter (SD) to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is an unconvincing process as it is not transparent, and even prone to elements of corruption, buying the support of MPs and intimidation.
- We also recommend that the new Prime Minister be allowed to form a Cabinet composed of competent politicians from all existing political parties or other individuals of caliber. This can be called an Interim Government or a Unity Government. The term which one is used, whether Interim or Unity Government, is not important but more importantly the Government must be stable and be able to deal with the health and economic crisis effectively in this short period of time.
- A date for the 15th General Election should also be set in 2023 or earlier as is done in many countries in the world. This will reduce attempts to threaten political stability and reduce politicking.
In these uncertain times, we also hope that other public institutions, such as PDRM, MACC and others, carry out their responsibilities professionally and fairly. These institutions should not be used to prey on political enemies and the people’s movement in this very chaotic environment. We also sincerely hope that government employees such as the Director General of Health can function rationally and impartially for the benefit of the people.
S Arutchelvan is the deputy chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Leaders Online