Press Releases
Press Releases
Date: 4 July 2023
Date: 4 July 2023
MALAYSIA DEMOCRACY WATCH : PARLIAMENT & STATE ASSEMBLIES
CSO Platform for Reform is a coalition of 60 civil society organizations in
Malaysia that has launched the Malaysia Democracy Watch initiative. This
initiative is implemented with the aim of demonstrating the capabilities of
Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly in implementing institutional
reforms.
A core part of this initiative is the Liga Demokrasi Malaysia, where we aim to objectively measure how Parliament and DUNs throughout Malaysia are scoring in democratic or best practices. This helps track the room for improvement to ensure that democratization continues to thrive in the legislative bodies in this country. Democratization in parliament and state assemblies is measured through fourteen parameters that are commonly identified as good democratic and Parliamentary practices.
The parameters are:
The results of this initiative have seen Selangor excel as the most democratic state assembly with an achievement of 69%, followed by Perak with an achievement of 60% and Negeri Sembilan with an achievement of 54%. The Selangor State Legislative Assembly has shown an encouraging performance when it successfully meets the parameters that have been set and even becomes a leader in some key parameters such as the implementation of the equal allocation of constituency development funds and is also the longest sitting state assembly for one term with 22 days compared to other state assemblies.
This finding has also seen Perlis, Terengganu and Sabah with the least democratic state assembly when they only reached 34% for Perlis, 37% for Terengganu and 40% for Sabah. These states are in such a position due to their failure to implement some of the key Legislative Assembly reforms. This can be seen when these three states have appointed their Public Account Committee Chairman from the Government Block, carried out the distribution of area development allocations unequally and others.
In addition, this initiative also acknowledges that the political landscape of Malaysia is in fact not the same when each state legislature does not implement the same reform agenda, thus showing that democratization does not move in tandem, such as the introduction of the Anti-Party Hopping Law which has not been debated nor passed in some states even though it has been approved by Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara last year. Last but not least, CSO Platform for Reform is hopeful that for the 6 states who are going into elections, the scores and indicators that we have shown you today will be considered seriously by the political parties and their candidates who are contesting this round. In the states where performance or indicators are below par the parties can incorporate these reforms into their respective manifestos and highlighted as an offer for a more progressive and democratic and functional state legislatures.
Thank you.
Tharma Pillai, Undi18
Ann Teo, ROSE
Lead and Co-Lead for the URC for Parliament and State Legislative Assembly CSO Platform for Reform Steering Committee
A core part of this initiative is the Liga Demokrasi Malaysia, where we aim to objectively measure how Parliament and DUNs throughout Malaysia are scoring in democratic or best practices. This helps track the room for improvement to ensure that democratization continues to thrive in the legislative bodies in this country. Democratization in parliament and state assemblies is measured through fourteen parameters that are commonly identified as good democratic and Parliamentary practices.
The parameters are:
- Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
- PAC Meeting Public View
- PAC chairman from Opposition
- Numbers of Special Select Committees (SSC)
- Prime Minister/ Menteri Besar/ Chief Minister/ Premier Sarawak Question Time
- Anti-Hopping Law
- Recognition of a Shadow Cabinet
- Standing Committees
- Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker
- Parliamentary and State Assembly Sitting Period
- Recognition of the Leader of the Opposition
- Percentage of MPs/Assemblypersons Not in the Cabinet/Exco
- Implementation of Calon 18
- Equitable Constituency Development Fund Allocations
The results of this initiative have seen Selangor excel as the most democratic state assembly with an achievement of 69%, followed by Perak with an achievement of 60% and Negeri Sembilan with an achievement of 54%. The Selangor State Legislative Assembly has shown an encouraging performance when it successfully meets the parameters that have been set and even becomes a leader in some key parameters such as the implementation of the equal allocation of constituency development funds and is also the longest sitting state assembly for one term with 22 days compared to other state assemblies.
This finding has also seen Perlis, Terengganu and Sabah with the least democratic state assembly when they only reached 34% for Perlis, 37% for Terengganu and 40% for Sabah. These states are in such a position due to their failure to implement some of the key Legislative Assembly reforms. This can be seen when these three states have appointed their Public Account Committee Chairman from the Government Block, carried out the distribution of area development allocations unequally and others.
In addition, this initiative also acknowledges that the political landscape of Malaysia is in fact not the same when each state legislature does not implement the same reform agenda, thus showing that democratization does not move in tandem, such as the introduction of the Anti-Party Hopping Law which has not been debated nor passed in some states even though it has been approved by Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara last year. Last but not least, CSO Platform for Reform is hopeful that for the 6 states who are going into elections, the scores and indicators that we have shown you today will be considered seriously by the political parties and their candidates who are contesting this round. In the states where performance or indicators are below par the parties can incorporate these reforms into their respective manifestos and highlighted as an offer for a more progressive and democratic and functional state legislatures.
Thank you.
Tharma Pillai, Undi18
Ann Teo, ROSE
Lead and Co-Lead for the URC for Parliament and State Legislative Assembly CSO Platform for Reform Steering Committee
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