Gov't will not budge on 'first-past-the-post' system
The government is not ready to replace the 'first-past-the-post' (FPTP) electoral system with any proportionate representation system to allow acknowledgment of popular votes in an election because this is not suitable for Malaysia.
The government is not ready to replace the 'first-past-the-post' (FPTP) electoral system with any proportionate representation system to allow acknowledgment of popular votes in an election because this is not suitable for Malaysia.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said this was because the FPTP system allowed representation even for minority groups in the country.
"FPTP is the best system and can unite all races. If one race does not have representative in the Dewan Rakyat, we can appoint them in the Dewan Negara. So, this is the best in the world.
"Even the smallest minority, like the Thai people, have representation. An even smaller minorities, like the Sikhs can enter DAP and have a representative in the Dewan Rakyat," Shahidan said.
However, he said that the Election Commission is studying the matter.
Shahidan was replying to a question by Hatta Ramli (left)(PAS-Kuala Krai) who asked if the government is ready to accept the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform's recommendation to review the proportional representation system to replace the FPTP.
The issue has been raised by the civil society following the outcome of the 13th general election, whereby the BN formed government despite not winning the popular vote.
Under the FPTP system, a party or coalition can form government if it can win the most number of seats in the lower house through a simple majority, regardless of the number of total votes garnered nationwide.
Shahidan added that the proportional representation system may not even benefit Pakatan Rakyat parties as the coalition was not formally registered and the parties contested on their own tickets.
"So DAP, PKR, PAS won't be able to combine their votes, when BN can (under the proportional representation system)," he said.
This riled Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) who said Pakatan Rakyat has been trying to register as a coalition for three years and to no avail.
To this, Noh Omar (left, BN-Tanjong Karang) said Pakatan parties had even contested against one another in several seats during the 13th general election.
"So why are they now blaming the government?" Noh asked.
He added that even in the United Kingdom, the party that won the most votes did not get enough seats to form the government and needed to reach out to other parties to form a coalition government.
