Analyst tells Sabah, Sarawak to reject bid for more Senate seats
Proposal proof of Malaya-based organisations’ failure to understand historical grievances of Borneo states, says professor.
(The Vibes) – AN advocacy group’s proposal for 15 more Senate seats each to Sabah and Sarawak to block unilateral constitutional amendments by Peninsular Malaysia should be rejected, a political analyst said.
James Chin, an Asian Studies professor at the University of Tasmania, said Projek Sama’s Dewan Negara proposal is a “trick to maintain the status quo.”
“This proposition is yet more evidence of Malaya-based organisations’ failure to understand the historical grievances of the Borneo states and their claim to one-third of seats in both houses of parliament,” he said in a statement today.
Chin gave six reasons for why the proposal should be rejected.
The first is that the Dewan Negara lacks political legitimacy in Malaysian politics, as it is a fully appointed house.
“Its members are not directly elected by the public. This is why, for many years, debates in the Dewan Negara have garnered far less attention than those in the Dewan Rakyat.”
Chin added that many Dewan Negara appointees are perceived as being rewarded with a seat for their service.
“This is why the Dewan Negara has a significant number of retired politicians.”
The second reason, Chin said, is that all major legislation is introduced in the Dewan Rakyat, where “the actual discussion takes place.”
“The Dewan Negara only debates laws passed by the Dewan Rakyat and, therefore, lacks the legislative authority to block significant bills.”
Thirdly, Chin said the country’s top leadership were all in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said ministers from the Dewan Negara are often regarded as “backdoor ministers” because they had to be appointed to the Senate first.
“This alone shows that the political establishment views the Dewan Rakyat as more important than the Dewan Negara.”
Chin’s fifth reason is that, in practice, the Dewan Negara has no real power to block laws and can only delay them.
“The one-third seats in the Dewan Rakyat are designed to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s ability to block constitutional amendments if they disagree with Malaya.”
