Still talking ...

Below was the interview with PM Abdullah by theSun on 20 June 2004.
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Pak Lah: Bigger mandate, bigger duty
By: (Sun, 20 Jun 2004)


WITH the 11th Parliament due to be opened on Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi answers a range of questions put to him by theSun about the state of affairs on the hill.

Abdullah gives refeshingly straight answers on the scope for democracy in a House overwhelmed by government MPs, the poor quality of parliamentary debate, accountability to the rakyat, and more.

We also present the responses to the same questions by DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, who will return to the Dewan Rakyat as the Leader of the Opposition after more than four years in the cold.

Q. A healthy democracy should have an active opposition to provide a check and balance. Considering the Opposition in this country has always lacked in representational strength in Parliament, how has this phenomenon affected the practice of democracy in Malaysia?
A: The Opposition's historical lack of representational strength in Parliament is a result of democracy at work.

We have had regular elections that have been conducted freely and fairly since independence and opposition parties have participated in all of these polls. Barisan Nasional has suffered defeats in certain states.

We have had a lack of representational strength in certain state legislative assemblies when we were out of power. But because in our political system power is vested with the people, we worked at convincing the voters that BN is still the best choice.

Participating in a democracy means accepting the people's political choices. If they choose BN overwhelmingly, that must be respected as the voice of the majority. Also, I would like to point out that the Opposition's strength in Parliament is not the only barometer of whether or not there are effective checks and balances to executive power.

In our age of ICT, the media -- whether print, electronic or web-based -- have a greater capacity to keep an eye on the executive.

I also welcome NGO participation in policy discussions and this also serves as a check to executive decision making. I have also told the judiciary repeatedly that I respect their independence because that is a cornerstone of the principle of separation of powers.

So checks and balances go beyond the Opposition's strength in Parliament.

The BN government enters the supreme legislative body with its biggest representation on May 17. Will this superiority in number lead to laws being bulldozed through Parliament without enough debate?
Absolutely not. A bigger mandate means a bigger responsibility to serve the people who have voted us in.

And I believe voters expect bills to be carefully drafted and then debated in Parliament. Parliament cannot be a rubber stamp, even with such a big majority for BN. MPs will want to debate and even propose refinements to bills, and by MPs I mean including those on the opposition bench.

I would like to see more select committees set up for bills relating to matters and issues of high public interest. We can even get public's views.

How can the government ensure the voice of the people is adequately heard, through their wakil rakyat, and more importantly, acted upon?
I have spoken at length about the report cards that I expect from MPs.

BN MPs are all on notice. None of the MPs, including cabinet ministers, are assured of a candidacy at the next general election. Much will depend on their report cards and a significant component of this report card is the MPs' responsiveness to the needs of their constituents.

What is your view on parliamentary debates being broadcast live, as is done in some countries? At least for important Bills?
The tabling of some important Bills like the Budget is carried live on television. I am open to more broadcasts of Parliamentary debates. Whether we begin with live telecasts of debates or taped weekly round-ups is something that we should think about.

I think people would see whether their MP is doing his or her job in Parliament, or just being a mere spectator.

As a long-serving MP, do you think the quality of debates in the Dewan Rakyat has improved or has the standard gone down?
There were great orators in the past who could fire up the chamber with wit and substance. I find some of the interventions made by MPs today to be superficial and shallow, displaying a lack of preparation.

I want BN MPs to do their homework before speaking. Get their facts straight, and then talk.

There have been allegations in the past that the MPs were not given sufficient time to study a bill or proposed law before it was presented for debate in the Dewan Rakyat. What is your comment on this?
I am aware of this complaint. I hope it does not continue to happen. If the government is proposing a bill, we should give MPs ample time to study it. After all, we have nothing to hide.

In your meeting with elected representatives from your party, have you ever impressed upon them the need to keep up-to-date with developments at home and abroad and to be prepared before standing up to debate in the Dewan?
Of course. At times, I have been embarrassed by the lack of preparation by some of our MPs, especially when compared with some of the opposition MPs. I will not have any of that now. We must raise the bar of parliamentary debate, and I want BN MPs at the forefront of raising that bar.

What are your views on calls to make the parliamentary public accounts committee more active and effective?
I am open to that. In fact, I am even suggesting more parliamentary committees for various policy areas. I want this Parliament to work.

This means all these committees that we are talking about reinvigorating or setting up must be active and effective. It should also allow a bipartisan approach to some key issues on which both sides of the House can find common ground.

Do you think sufficient status is accorded to the office of Opposition Leader? Do you think past Opposition Leaders have acquitted themselves well in this role?
It is up to whoever who becomes the Opposition Leader to dignify that office with the status it deserves. If he or she performs well, then the status of the office will certainly be elevated in the public's eye.