Opinion

Establishing a workable national unity govt – Lim Teck Ghee, Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

Such an administration can ensure political legitimacy while delaying polls and averting public health catastrophe

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 03 Jun 2021 10:00AM

Establishing a workable national unity govt – Lim Teck Ghee, Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
With present political dynamics showing little sign of an undisputed majority in Parliament, the same stalemate may also play out through a fresh general election. – File pic, June 3, 2021

FOLLOWING the end of the emergency period on August 1 or earlier, it is evident that the nation will continue to face a perilous and high-risk situation because of the prolonged duration and unclear course of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the deepening economic crisis.

In this situation, any decision to go ahead with political activities part of the conventional electoral process is fraught with unavoidable danger to the nation’s socio-economic progress and security.

We can expect that millions of lives in the entire country will be exposed to an unpredictable and not easily contained pandemic in the electioneering.  

There is no way any authority – medical or non-medical – can guarantee that the holding of a general election at the end of 2021 or even early 2022 can avoid a worst-case health scenario, which could bring the nation’s economy and society to its knees.

At the same time we are cognisant of the need during this extraordinary period to ensure that the nation’s governance and political administration continues to function normally.

It is also important that during this critical period our political leadership enjoys the confidence and full support of Malaysians.

How do we bring about a situation that can ensure political leadership that has the clear support of the majority of our parliamentarians, without going through a potentially disastrous election?

This challenge is more formidable as present political dynamics have produced no strong evidence of a viable government with an undisputed majority. The same political stalemate may also come about with a new general election.

Various approaches and strategies have been provided by some of the country’s key stakeholders to resolve the political deadlock in the current emergency and pandemic.

Some of these proposals centre around the formation of a national unity government that can be set up by an open and transparent democratic process when Parliament reconvenes.

It is timely for all stakeholders to put forward their views on the most practical and least contentious method of arriving at such a national unity government and a political leadership that has the support of the clear majority of our parliamentarians.

Proposal for establishing a national unity government

A number of steps are involved in our proposal on how a national unity government can be established that is constitutionally defensible, transparent, trustworthy, and acceptable. 

1. Firstly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong will exercise his constitutional prerogative to not call for elections and instead propose a procedure to install a unity government under the leadership of a prime minister with the undisputed support of a majority of the 222 parliamentarians.

2. All parliamentarians will write down his or her choice of prime minister. This will be done without the need for the proposer to reveal his identity and to avoid any repercussions arising from his choice. The top five choices with the most nominations will be named without revealing the number. They will proceed to the next round of selection.

The first step to establishing a unity government would be with the king exercising his constitutional prerogative to begin procedures to form such an administration over holding fresh elections. – Information Department pic, June 3, 2021
The first step to establishing a unity government would be with the king exercising his constitutional prerogative to begin procedures to form such an administration over holding fresh elections. – Information Department pic, June 3, 2021

3. A similar process of anonymous selection will take place involving all parliamentarians choosing only one name from amongst the five. Should any one of the five receive an absolute majority of the votes, he or she will be deemed prime minister.

4. Should there be no absolute majority for any of the five, the top two names with the highest votes will proceed to the final round of balloting.

5. Following the identification of the top two picks, a last and final selection process will take place. This final selection will be done openly so that all parliamentarians can make known their preferred candidate for the prime minister’s post. This will also permit the prime minister to know where his support is coming from.

6. Upon his selection, the selected prime minister will then be required to put together a unity government of his choice. To ensure a national unity government, he or she will be required to appoint at least a third of his ministers and deputy ministers from the opposition. This will mean that the prime minister’s own coalition will have two thirds of cabinet positions or even less should he be able to bring in members without any political affiliation who have strong records of integrity and merit. 

7. Further, to ensure regional balance and greater cohesion, two deputy prime ministers can be appointed.

8. This unity government can remain in place until the 15th general election, when the normal electoral system can come into play again

In summary this national unity government plan is proposed to ensure:

i) the nation is not put at risk with an untimely election;

ii) the nation’s prime minister and his cabinet emerging from this process will have the mandate and legitimacy to govern until the next general election;

iii) there will be a much more cohesive and effective government than the current one to run the country until the date of the next election.

We are hopeful that the process outlined can produce a unity government that is popularly accepted, stable, and effective during this extraordinary period of crisis.

We welcome feedback from other stakeholders on how to establish a national unity government that has the right qualities to take charge of our nation in its hour of need. – The Vibes, June 3, 2021

Lim Teck Ghee is on the advisory committee of Malaysian Action for Justice and Unity Foundation. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is professor of architecture at UCSI University

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