AS politics is dynamic, politicians and office-bearers must not be shielded or immune from a vote of no confidence when they fail while in office.
A vote of no confidence is part and parcel of our Malaysian democratic process. A motion or vote of no confidence is a defining feature of parliamentary democracy, which allows the elected MPs to either affirm their support or put a stop to any rot of the government or office bearers.
Similarly, the mechanism provided for a change of government provided by the Federal Constitution should not be curtailed or denied.
Do we want to be in a situation whereby we are unable to do anything and are frustrated when we have lost our confidence in the government or the Prime Minister (PM)?
Or do we have to standby and allow the government of the day to plunder, destroy or abuse their powers because there’s a fixed term of service and there is no recourse allowed under such circumstances?
We should not have a knee-jerk reaction or response to a political challenge by taking the easy way out of making “bad laws” to serve the political master of the day.
The proposal to enact a policy or law for a fixed-term government to prevent political turmoil that would de-stabilise the country will encroach on the present constitutional provisions and the jurisdiction of the constitutional monarch.
The Machiavellian trend of bending laws or practices contrary to the rule of law in the name of politics is endangering our legal system and our democratic practices.
This Machiavellian trend is a reflection of the 1980s and 1990s whereby various institutions and laws have been bended to secure Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s grab of power with far-reaching repercussions which require thorough debate and learned discourse if we do not want our institutions or legal system to be messed up further.
Politics should work within the framework of our legal system and the Federal Constitution which have been the “grundnorm” (basic norm) and the foundation of the nation. Thus, politics should not prevail over the constitution or rather the constitution should not be sacrificed or amended with a political tale or tail.
Let all lawmakers be reminded of their oath to uphold the Federal Constitution and be loyal to the Agong. – Jan 16, 2024
Senator Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker was a former MCA president.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
