Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian MP Nurul Izzah does not mince her words. She and and other politicians in Malaysia say that democracy there is in limbo.
Political activists are banding together to support calls for democratic system reform or a return to true Parliamentary democracy.
In interviews with local political heavyweights, I asked a series of questions about Malaysia’s democracy after the events of 2020
In February 2020, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, announced his surprise resignation. He stepped down as PM without handing over the reins to Anwar Ibrahim as he had promised several times. During 1993-1998, Anwar had served as Deputy Prime Minister when Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister.
Dr Mahathir’s resignation in 2020 triggered a political crisis in Malaysia, which has yet to be resolved. His defence is that he had no choice but to resign because his party had abandoned him in favour of his nemesis, former PM Najib Razak.
In an interview last October, he said he asked a crucial question of Mr Muhyiddin, who was a cabinet minister at the time.
“I asked Mahaidin (Muhyiddin’s real name) whether he is willing to break the government in order to sit with Najib, the corrupt Umno leader, and form a new government?” He went on to say that Muhyiddin’s response was a resounding “Yes. I’ll collaborate with Najib.”
Dr Mahathir said that he could not accept this. and it was what prompted him to resign as Prime Minister, and he had pleaded with Malaysia’s King to re-appoint him if he could form a majority in Parliament.
In February 2020, he argued that democracy in Malaysia is now fluid, and party hopping is common. He hasn’t changed his mind today.
However, he was unable to secure a majority because his former party, Bersatu, had joined forces with Umno and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, to form a new coalition, the Perikatan Nasional, and Mr Muhyiddin was appointed Prime Minister.
Restore Parliamentary Democracy
For Penang MP Nurul Izzah, democratic growth is about transparency and the freedom of the MPs in Parliament.
“A fully functioning Parliament will benefit the people and will provide safety net for Malaysians,” she said.
MP Nurul Izzah, the daughter of Keadilan leader Anwar Ibrahim, was interviewed via Zoom in December last year. She is one of the most visible faces of the reform movement.
According to political observers, she has taken a back seat because of the political impasse in Malaysia, but has kept her seat in Parliament.
Malaysia is currently in a state of democratic limbo, which has created a gap for the people. Many people have spoken out, criticising the “frogs” who are winning elections all over the world.
This prompted the question, “What has happened to democracy here (Malaysia)?” She responded that the pandemic has changed a lot of things.
While she acknowledges that democracy is facing difficult challenges, she proposes a return to a strong parliamentary democracy, which she believes will aid in the resolution of many issues.
For example, she claims that the country needs to re-establish a stronger economy that will allow people to earn a living. Parliament is where MPs can and must fight for the betterment of the people.
It is the role of MPs to fight for the betterment of the people, she said, including obtaining financial assistance for various groups in financial difficulty.
“I consider the functioning of Parliament, and while I am grateful that we have a parliament, it will be meaningless unless we give it the ability to fully function.”
She claims that the has a moral obligation to debate motions that are understandable to the public. She criticises the Speaker for not allowing a debate on the recent floods that hit the country, claiming that this exposes the system’s flaws.
The post Nurul Izzah: What happened to democracy here? appeared first on The Independent News.