Nazri Aziz moots amending EC Act to allow parties to contest elections directly, says would end defections
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KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Veteran Umno lawmaker Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has proposed an amendment to the Election Commissions Act for political parties to directly contest for seats instead of individuals.
During his debate of the Royal Address today, the Padang Rengas MP pointed out that this could easily be the solution against political party hopping and could stop political corruption at the same time.
“I suggest we amend the Election Commissions Act. If possible, we amend it so no individuals will be named as the party’s candidate but instead the party itself, with its logo, will be the candidate. This can resolve a lot of issues.
“If we contest using the party’s symbol, it is the party that wins the seat. For example, if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins Padang Rengas, it is a BN victory, not mine. I’m not contesting as an individual. So, BN will then say that our MP for Padang Rengas is Nazri Aziz.
“That means, if I leave the party, I leave the party alone. I am not taking my seat with me. The seat remains with BN. If I am appointed as a minister and I disagree with the prime minister and I leave the party, the party can appoint someone else as the Padang Rengas MP,” said Nazri.
In a rare display of bipartisanship in the Dewan Rakyat, the veteran government backbencher was supported by Kota Raja opposition lawmaker Mohamad Sabu who called the proposal a sensible one.
He added that the current government was not a government for the people but for the party hoppers and lauded Nazri’s wisdom, saying that the people were sick and tired of defectors.
Nazri reiterated that his proposal would end individual defections and limit corruption.
“When a government collapses and in order to obtain support in a very slim majority, it becomes harvesting time for certain MPs. This is the time they make money and they become open to corruption.
“For instance, if there’re 111 seats on one side and the other side commands 109 seats, one MP can auction off his seat to the highest bidder. But if we contest by using the party’s logo, the MPs can no longer auction off their seat since it belongs to the party,” said Nazri.
During his debate of the Royal Address today, the Padang Rengas MP pointed out that this could easily be the solution against political party hopping and could stop political corruption at the same time.
“I suggest we amend the Election Commissions Act. If possible, we amend it so no individuals will be named as the party’s candidate but instead the party itself, with its logo, will be the candidate. This can resolve a lot of issues.
“If we contest using the party’s symbol, it is the party that wins the seat. For example, if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins Padang Rengas, it is a BN victory, not mine. I’m not contesting as an individual. So, BN will then say that our MP for Padang Rengas is Nazri Aziz.
“That means, if I leave the party, I leave the party alone. I am not taking my seat with me. The seat remains with BN. If I am appointed as a minister and I disagree with the prime minister and I leave the party, the party can appoint someone else as the Padang Rengas MP,” said Nazri.
In a rare display of bipartisanship in the Dewan Rakyat, the veteran government backbencher was supported by Kota Raja opposition lawmaker Mohamad Sabu who called the proposal a sensible one.
He added that the current government was not a government for the people but for the party hoppers and lauded Nazri’s wisdom, saying that the people were sick and tired of defectors.
Nazri reiterated that his proposal would end individual defections and limit corruption.
“When a government collapses and in order to obtain support in a very slim majority, it becomes harvesting time for certain MPs. This is the time they make money and they become open to corruption.
“For instance, if there’re 111 seats on one side and the other side commands 109 seats, one MP can auction off his seat to the highest bidder. But if we contest by using the party’s logo, the MPs can no longer auction off their seat since it belongs to the party,” said Nazri.
a good idea, hope there is more proposal n discussion, the current model is a shit originated from kt motherland.
ReplyDeleteDuring Sheraton Shake the individual Bersatu MPs did not defect from Harapan. The whole damned party (minus Toonsie's faction) did, all because one man, the party president, made the decision, without calling for a Supreme Council meeting.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the MP who decides to jump must vacate his seat.
ReplyDeleteThe argument of freedom of association of the individual MP does not apply. He is free to associate with whichever party he wishes, nobody is stopping him. But the freedom of the voters to associate with the party they voted for is equally important and must be respected.
Jumping parties is just the symptom of the problem. Address the root cause - corruption.
ReplyDeleteWhy DAP and Amanah MPs have zero jumpers? Maybe a couple low ranking representatives but nothing of real significance.
QUOTE
Delete‘We are not for sale’: Sabah DAP reps claim offered deputy chief minister posts, RM15m cash to defect
22 Jul 2020
BY JULIA CHAN
KOTA KINABALU — Several Sabah DAP elected representatives have claimed they were offered deputy chief minister posts and up to RM15 million in cash to defect to Perikatan Nasional (PN) and form the government.
In a press conference today, the elected representatives shared their experiences of being supposedly “shopped” by middlemen to the federal government, in the hopes of toppling the Warisan-led state government.
“Efforts have been going on for months now, and in some cases, they have intensified. I’ve been contacted by at least seven different people now and they have even come to my office. They ask me how much it will take to jump, and said they can give me a deputy chief minister post,” said Likas assemblyman Tan Lee Fatt.
Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Ginger Phoong also said he was called by a young Chinese man and was offered the deputy chief minister’s post.
“He said I could be offered the post because I already have a minister’s post......
UNQUOTE
Nazri's suggestion assumes that only the individual can be corrupt but not the party. That is obviously a wrong assumption. The ordinary honest party member may not have a clue that his party and its leaders are ripping everybody off.
ReplyDeleteI submit as example an ex-PM and party leader who did not pay tax to the tune of 1.69 billion.
So will Muhyiddin now lose his majority...?
QUOTE
Summary judgment allowed, Najib needs to pay RM1.69b tax
Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid
The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) succeeded in its bid for summary judgment in a suit to recover RM1.69 billion in tax from Najib Abdul Razak.
In effect, this means the former prime minister now has to pay the RM1.69 billion of tax to the IRB...
UNQUOTE
I support any amendment vacating the seat if the MP jumps from the party under which he was elected.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you must be aware the history and spirit of a Parliamentary seat under the Westminster system before you talk about treating a seat vote Purely in terms of Party, even if you put a Moron or a Monkey or a Crook there.
Under the Westminster system, a Parliamentary seat is first and foremost the responsibility of the Member. The party is merely a collection of like-minded individuals, and there have always been Westminster Members who do not belong to any party.
Don't u think yr understanding of the Westminster Parliamentary system sound so archaic Athenian demoNcracy?
DeleteA collection of like-minded elites to serve their common interests. Party membership isn't compulsory!
Ain't there a better political system that wasp-inspired Anglophiles can really appreciate?
Or is pommie motherland model always the only example worth copying?
The Westminster Democracy, for all its faults, is light-years superior to your beloved CCP Dictatorship.
DeleteLight-years superior!
DeleteYa-loh, trapped within a black hole created by acolytes of demoNcracy like u!
Old moneyed mfer, if Westminster demoNcracy is so superior WHY all the sufferings now caused by covid-19?
Maybe deep in yr fart filled mind pandemic control has nothing to do with type of govt?
Wakakakakaka…
That's why u earn yr keep the old demoNcratic way.