Democracy fades in Malaysia (old regime returns to power) – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

• On May 18th 2020, Malaysia’s first Parliament sitting happened after the Chaotic change of government two and half month ago
• For the first time in the country’s history, the one-day session hosted a speech of Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
•  Afterward, Parliament was adjourned until July due to coronavirus
•  No questions were allowed. No votes were taken.
• In fact the vote of no-confidence motion was not taken to check the legitimacy of the government who is ruling from 1st March 2020.
•  It put the democracy at stake

King

• The King is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states.
• By informal agreement the position is systematically rotated among the nine, and has been held by Abdullah of Pahang since 31 January 2019.
•  The King’s role has been largely ceremonial since changes to the constitution in 1994, picking ministers and members of the upper house.

Legislature (Dewan Rakyat)

• Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures.
• The bicameral federal parliament consists of the lower house, and the upper house, (the Senate).
• The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through a first-past-the-post system.
• The most recent of which took place in May 2018

Recent Election of 2018

•  The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition with the Sabah Heritage Party won a simple majority with 121 seats out of 222.
•  The election heralded the first regime change in Malaysia’s history, as Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition enjoyed an uninterrupted reign over the country since Malaya’s independence in 1957, was voted out of power.
•  Mahathir Mohammed became the oldest PM of the world

Pakatan Harapan Coalition

• The coalition was formed on 22 September 2015, consists of the üDemocratic Action Party
• People’s Justice Party
• National Trust Party and
• Malaysian United Indigenous Party.
• The coalition was formed as an alliance of centre-left to centre-right parties to contest the 2018 Malaysian general election.

Fast Forward to February 2020

• On 24th February 2020, after 21 month of tenure, the PM Mahathir Mohamad resigned because
• Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) and Several MPs from the People’s Justice Party (PKR) left the Pakatan Harapan Coalition
• Resignation of Mahathir Mohamad put Malaysia in a political Turmoil

Muhyiddin Yassin

• He tied up with several parties, including the United Malaysia National Organisation or UMNO, which lost power in the 2018 general elections.
•  He was sworn in as the PM of Malaysia on 1st March 2020 In theory, the king’s decision to appoint Muhyiddin Yassin to head a new government on March 1st should have put an end to the turmoil. But problem is Mr Muhyiddin has spent two and a half months in office without proving he has a majority in parliament

Using Corona Virus to fade democracy

• Muhyiddin Yassin became Prime Minister just as the coronavirus was taking off in Malaysia, after a gathering of an Islamic revivalist group, Tablighi Jamaat, became one of the biggest sources of the virus’s spread in Southeast Asia.

Using Corona Virus to fade democracy

• Mr. Muhyiddin’s government imposed social distancing measures that slowed the virus’s spread but also, conveniently, minimized opportunities for his opponents to mobilize against him.

Cancelled March Parliament Session

• Muhyiddin Yassin cancelled Parliament’s March session because of the pandemic, and limits on public gatherings.

Building Support

• Meanwhile, Mr. Muhyiddin has been building support by handing out perks to Members Of Parliament, making 73 of them Ministers, Deputy Ministers Or Special Envoys.
•  He also named at least 19 lawmakers to key positions in governmentlinked companies.
• If his leadership ever comes to a vote, he needs the support of only 113 lawmakers to retain power.

James Chin

• James Chin, professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania said “Covid-19 allows them to do all sorts of monkey business,” “Everything is up for grabs.”

Facing charges of Corruption

• The new governing coalition includes the former prime minister, Najib Razak, who is accused of siphoning billions of dollars from a government investment fund he once controlled.
• He faces dozens of criminal charges and multiple trials. Voters made history in 2018 when they ousted the scandal-stained governing coalition that had dominated the country for more than 60 years. Now again come to power without proving the will of people (Against the basic pillar of democracy)

Dropped Charges of Corruption

• The government dropped money-laundering charges against Mr. Najib’s stepson, the Hollywood producer Riza Aziz
• It will apparently allow him to keep $83 million of the quarter-billion in government funds he was accused of receiving.

Mahathir Mohamad, the Former Prime Minister

• He criticized the new government for dismissing the charges against Mr. Riza.
• “He is going to retain money stolen by him and be acquitted as well,” wrote Mr. Mahathir.
• “The public is disgusted and angry. Is this the kind of justice practiced in Malaysia?”
• Mr Mohamad also moved a no confidence motion against the current government.

Leader of Opposition

• Mr. Anwar, now the leader of the opposition, has called the new ruling coalition a “backdoor government” that took power in “a coup.”
• He added
• “The issue of legitimacy is still hanging,” “They don’t even have the courage to test their majority.”

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