PETALING JAYA: A Bill to make Members of Parliament more accountable to voters for their actions, including the move to switch parties, is being proposed by MCA.
The party’s secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon (pic) said the House Of Representatives Recall (HORR) Bill also targets lawmakers for misconduct.
“If passed by the Dewan Rakyat, the Bill will become an Act of Parliament that targets MPs who have committed misdemeanours or who have switched parties,” he said during a press conference yesterday.
Chong noted that a number of MPs had acted with no regard to their electorate’s sentiments, owing to the fact that no action can be taken against them until the next general election.
“We believe that the introduction of this Bill will make MPs more accountable for their actions, lest they risk being recalled.
“Ultimately, we believe this is a step towards a more democratic society,” he said.
In the proposed HORR Bill, Chong said voters can initiate a recall vote if the elected representative commits an offence or is convicted of a minor offence not amounting to disqualification of office.
He said voters can also apply to start a “recall petition” with the Election Commission on the grounds of party-hopping, provided that the petition is supported by 10% of the electorate.
“Also, the Dewan Rakyat Speaker can trigger a recall petition when an MP’s attendance in Parliament is below 80%,” he said.
The recall petition only succeeds when at least 25% of eligible voters turn up to vote with half of them supporting for a by-election to be called.
When the recall vote succeeds, an MP’s seat is automatically vacated and a recall by-election is triggered.
Chong said the proposal is the result of the work of the Bill committee led by him and formed last year to constructively contribute ideas and draft Bills with the aim of addressing common problems in Malaysian laws.
“This means that if an MP switches parties or commits misdemeanour(s) that do not amount to disqualification of office under Article 48 (1) (e) of the Federal Constitution, the Act empowers the electorate to decide whether to recall the MP.
“It will be best if we can make this an Act,” he said, adding that with this method, there is no need to amend the Federal Constitution.
Similar laws, he added, exist in the United Kingdom and Canada.
Chong noted that the Bill is a work in progress and the committee would continue to engage relevant groups for feedback and study how this system may be potentially abused in order to circumvent unseen problems.
He said the committee is continuously studying other laws, such as decriminalising suicide, as well as reforming the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and the National Land Code, among others.
“MCA has always been a party of service. The success of this proposed Bill relies on the support of like-minded lawmakers who wish for a better and fairer Malaysia.”
he added.