Selangor Journal

No more election uncertainties if Pakatan wins GE14

BY NAZLI IBRAHIM
SHAH ALAM, SEP 7: Political analyst, Prof Dr Shaharudin Badaruddin is of the view that the federal constitution can be amended by the ruling party after the 14th General Election to allow for a more transparent and fair electoral system for all contesting parties.
He said, one of the best thing to do is to liberate the Election Commission (EC) from the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) and shift it to be under the authority of Yang Dipertuan (YDP) Agong.
“Now it is always a guessing game when the election will be held, it always depends on the time when the ruling party is strong or when there is a wow factor. It will always be done when it suits them.
Prof_Dr_Shaharuddin_Badaruddin
“Presently, the dissolution of Parliament is done by YDP Agong upon advise by the Prime Minister. That is when the EC will decide the election date, but the problem in Malaysia is that the EC is placed under the JPM.
“Secondly, the dissolution of Parliament itself depends on the Prime Minister’s advise to YDP Agong and this makes the Prime Minister has a big enough power to determine when the election is to be held,” he said when contacted by SelangorKini.
The Institute Darul Ehsan Director (IDE) also said the YDP Agong’s position as the head of the country should empower him to determine when the parliament will be dissolved and the election date without having to consult the Prime Minister.
He added that the YDP Agong also has its own council consisting of Majlis Raja-raja to decide on matters pertaining to the country.
However, he said, any amendment must emphasize on the balance of power between YDP Agong and the ruling party.
However, he also added that if a government has strong spirit of democracy, the dissolution of Parliament and election date could also be determined much earlier without amending the constitution.
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“Let’s say the for new administration term in 2018 ends in 2023, the election date can already be announced in 2023 and if the government do not keep its promise, it will be penalised by the citizens. However, this method remains unaffected by the Federal Constitution.
“Let’s say he wants to disband in March 2023, but without any legal ties there is still a risk of the promise being broken. Although we say he will be penalised by the people, we also know that people forget easily,” said Shaharuddin who is also the Selangor University (UNISEL) Deputy Vice Chancellor.
Quoting America and Indonesia as examples, Shaharuddin said the election dates for them are announced early ultimately being fair to all parties.
However, compared to countries that practice a presidential system, Malaysia is a country that practice a parliamentary system that require federal constitution to be amended.

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