Democracy isn’t dying in Malaysia, but that’s not the issue.
Ahmad Hafidz Baharom
Introduction
What is the meaning of democracy? A simple understanding of it would mean that the people vote for whatever matter that arises, and the ones with the most votes is taken as the final decision. However, in this nation, we somehow have allegations that due to the Electoral Commission being under the power of the executive. Even then, we actually saw an extension of the age for the EC commissioner being increased by only a year, which does not actually make any sense in the human resource world when even a civil servants retirement age was extended by another three.
This of course basically puts forth a single thought in any unbiased persons head. The government just wanted the EC Commissioner to stay on for the election, and not any longer after that. Why such a decision?
But of course, even with this decision democracy was proven to be effective because the motion was passed by a majority vote, bearing the fact, of course that the current administration then had a two third majority of the Dewan Rakyat and also that the whip for the government side is forever applicable.
However, one must ask: If this is democracy, why are people unhappy with such a decision to the point that on March 8th 2008 the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, lost so many seats and votes?
Is this a sign that democracy is dying out, or merely that democracy is now unbiased due to the passive style of current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi?
Are the basic structural features of democratic Malaysia weakening?
Malaysia is an Islamic state which guarantees the rights of others through the constitution, consisting of an executive government elected by the people through an election, which is granted power by the King, currently the Sultan of Terengganu.
Firstly, what exactly are the basic structural features of democratic Malaysia?
You have the Dewan Rakyat which consists of...