GE13: Pakatan to decentralise power if it wins polls, says Lim

 

(The Star) – Pakatan Rakyat will decentralise the power to return the spirit of Malaysia’s Constitution if it wins the next general election, says DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.

In the latest entry in his blog atlimkitsiang.com, he said Pakatan would reverse the powers of the Executive, which he claimed has turned Parliament into an institution beholden to the Barisan Nasional-led government.

He added that the supremacy and independence of Parliament are accepted concepts adopted and practised by all parliamentary democracies.

He said Pakatan would appoint an independent Dewan Rakyat Speaker who is not beholden to the Executive and would revise the current Standing Orders for the House to enable a level playing field for both Government and Opposition MPs.

There would also be no more provisions to empower ministers in keeping with the concept of separation of powers.

The Ipoh Timur MP also said Bills would be handed out two weeks ahead of their tabling to enable the lawmakers more time to study and get public feedback on the proposed laws.

Lim also promised to replace the contentious Official Secrets Act with a Freedom of Information Act, which had already been passed as law in Selangor, to create a transparent and accountable government system.

A Constitutional Court would also be formed to settle disputes that conflict with the country’s laws, he added.

The main institutions under the Malaysian Federal Constitution are the Legislature (Parliament), the Executive (Federal Government) and the Judiciary (Courts).