KUALA LUMPUR – Contrary to some public opinion, some parliamentarians do vote according to their conscience and not necessarily along party lines, said former deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
In a webinar yesterday evening, Azalina rebutted the general notion that most MPs are more concerned about clinging on to power and kowtowing to their political leaders.
She said the “crossing the floor” policy under the Westminster system of Parliament, which is practised in Malaysia, allows MPs to vote according to their beliefs, but this also depends on the parliamentarians themselves.
“This is why there are certain cases where representatives do not vote in accordance with the instructions of their parties.
“And, there is a possibility that their parties punish them, and this is up to the political parties themselves.”
Azalina, who is Pengerang MP, said this during the webinar titled “Ground Zero: What’s Next for Parliamentary Reform” hosted by the Wisdom Foundation Malaysia yesterday.
With her were Lembah Pantai MP and PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto and Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad.
She was responding to a question by an attendee, Siti Kasim, who accused politicians of placing the needs of their parties and desire for power above those of the people.
Azalina explained that there are instances where representatives from her party had gone against instructions from the head of the Barisan Nasional backbenchers.
“Now, what weirdly happens is that we have a coalition government that is half from Pakatan Harapan and later, became Perikatan Nasional (PN), and now comes under a new coalition grouping called the Keluarga Malaysia government.
“There are some who say that it (Keluarga Malaysia) is a government of political parties (and not coalitions). Many times, my party is not part of the coalition (PN) as there was no coalition or written agreement with shared principles and policies.”
Azalina, who is also an Umno Supreme Council member, said a loosely formed government such as PN would not last more than 22 months, as similar patterns can be seen abroad.
“Our challenge in Malaysia is that there is no prohibition when it comes to party-hopping, and that makes the rakyat very angry when they vote for someone but that person keeps hopping between parties.
“This is the first premise we must fix, and this is why ‘recall elections’ are important.”
Azalina also said that, had she prioritised power, she would not have resigned from her post as deputy speaker recently, and so Siti Kasim’s comments were too general and did not apply to all politicians.
“I think there are a lot of MPs out there trying to do their job properly and professionally, but they cannot do it if the government is not going to respond fairly and honestly.
“That is why trust deficiency must only be measured when Parliament is open. If my own party is angered by what I said, then it’s too bad. Let the people of Pengerang know whether I stay or not in GE15,” she said, referring to the next general election. – The Vibes, August 31, 2021
