KAJANG: It is not undemocratic for the country to introduce a fixed-term Parliament law in the future, says Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

       The Dewan Negara president said this is because many countries in the world have implemented a system that maintains the government for a specific term.

       "If we look at this as undemocratic, many countries in the world are then undemocratic because their terms of government are fixed.

       "(This also) means that a fixed-term president (implemented) in the United States, the Philippines or Indonesia will also (be considered) undemocratic because their term (president) is fixed," he said.

       He said this in a question-and-answer session on the Bicara Tokoh programme organised by the National Council of Professors (MPN) with the topic "Anti-Party Hopping Act and Government Stability" here, on Friday (Jan 19).

       However, Wan Junaidi said if the government plans to enact such a law, it will affect the Prime Minister's power to determine the date of the general election.

       "It means that the power of the prime minister to determine when we have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to request His Majesty to dissolve the Dewan Rakyat has been removed.

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       "Although the Constitution says that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the power, the second power, to dissolve the Dewan Rakyat when requested by the Prime Minister, but for how long can the Yang di-Pertuan Agong delay the dissolution is not mentioned," he said.

       On Jan 13, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed that a bill to keep a ruling government until the end of its term be tabled in Parliament.

       The proposal was put forward to ensure that previous events such as the three-time change of prime minister during the 14th Parliament is not repeated in future. – Bernama