Report card launched for voters to rate MPs’ performance

By Wani Muthiah, The Star

Voters will soon be able to rate the performance of their elected representatives.

This is made possible through the Laporan Rakyat (People’s Report) launched by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) and UndiMsia!

Under the programme, constituents will be given a report card to assess their MPs and assemblymen.

UndiMsia! representative Edmund Bon told a press conference yesterday that the first part of the exercise would be launched in the Hulu Langat parliamentary constituency with the state constituencies of Kajang, Dusun Tua and Semenyih.

Hulu Langat MP Che Rosli Che Mat is from PAS, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani and Semenyih assemblyman Johan Aziz are from Umno while Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin is from PKR.

Bon said Hulu Langat was chosen because the incumbents’ margin of victory in the last general election was less than 5%.

He said the purpose of Laporan Rakyat was to make politicians accountable as well as encourage people to participate more actively in the country’s political landscape.

CPPS director Ng Yeen Seen said many elected representatives they had spoken to were supportive of the idea.

“There is a disconnect between the MP or state assemblyman and the people,” she said.

Ng said they hoped to complete the exercise and come out with a report by March.

CPPS chairman Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam said the report was also aimed at encouraging voters to be aware of their rights and to vote wisely.

He added that the onus was on voters to choose the right representatives.

The report card can be downloaded from CPPS and UndiMsia! websites.