Backbenchers have a big role to play

By Stephen Ng


In Malaysia Baru, the backbenchers have an important role to play to ensure that there is check-and-balance in the way how the government runs the country.

We have seen too many excesses in the previous regime, no thanks to all the yes men in the backbenchers.

Don’t think everything has changed overnight after May 9 general election when Malaysians from all walks of life united together to overthrow the corrupt regime under former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

I was therefore surprised when a lawmaker told me recently that, as a backbencher, he does not have the freedom to speak in the august house until he gets the greenlight to speak.

And, who decides who to speak as a member of the backbenchers? Why is the people’s elected representatives controlled from making their speeches?

While I can understand that time is limited and everyone has issues that need to be brought up but to allow one person to decide what and who can speak is simply incomprehensible.

I learnt from the lawmaker that the Backbenchers' Chairman, Johari Abdul is the one who decides who and what subject that can be brought up.

This goes against the spirit of democracy. Lawmakers are elected to speak up on behalf of their constituents. They should have the democratic space to speak up in parliament.

Even within the Backbenchers there are different camps. Who gets to speak and who does not is in the hands of the Backbenchers chairman.

It goes without saying that parliamentarians who are voted by the people would not be able to vote according to their conscience.

This is something as an ordinary rakyat, I hope to see reforms in our parliament to allow members of the august house, including members of the Opposition, to speak up.

Will we see this happening especially since our prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim has promised reforms in parliament once he returns, perhaps this time as the MP of Port Dickson?

I know I have to be vocal for the good of this nation. Being vindictive towards me for writing this piece is surely not democratic, especially since I am both a voter and an independent keyboard soldier who fought for Pakatan Harapan when it was still in the Opposition.

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