KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 ― G25 repeated today calls for major institutional reforms, saying this was necessary to ensure that a political upheaval would not affect the administration of the country.
The pro-moderation group of retired Malay civil servants acknowledged that Malaysia’s politics has been in a state of flux, and said that while leadership changes are normal in any democratic system, these must not cause anxieties and tensions, especially in the business community.
“If we have strong institutions to provide confidence that whatever changes may happen at the political level, the government and the administration will continue to function as usual and... the rule of law will not be affected.
“Strong institutions play an important role in providing an assurance of stability and continuity irrespective of the political changes at the top,” the group said in a statement.
G25 listed five sectors that it says needed reforms, namely the institutions that uphold law and order, political financing, Parliament, the administration of Islam and education.
Among others, the group called for changes to how institutions like the police force, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the judiciary are run.
The police force, G25 said, should be free of ministerial control and be subject to oversight by an independent commission.
The MACC, on the other hand, should be given prosecutorial powers and be made directly answerable to Parliament and not the prime minister, the group said.
G25 also proposed to separate the offices of the AG and the Public Prosecutor to eliminate any conflict of interest in cases involving the government and civil service, noting that the former is also a civil servant and the government’s chief legal adviser.
“This will avoid an unhealthy concentration of power in the hands of one individual,” the group said.
Further to this, G25 said the appointment and removal of the AG and proposed director of public prosecutions should be in the same manner as the appointment of a judge or the Auditor General.
On the judiciary, G25 said the appointment and promotion of judges should be decided by an independent body and not solely by the prime minister.
It said currently, the Judicial Appointment Commission’s (JAC) role is merely to recommend names to the prime minister who has the ultimate say over who makes the cut.
G25 also mooted regulations to regulate political financing, noting that this is necessary to avoid unethical practices, which it it says often lead to corruption.
It also urged for parliamentary reforms, noting that the institution’s role is not merely to enact laws but to ensure the government is held accountable for its actions.
“The role of parliament is not only to pass legislation. It should also follow up in monitoring how the ministers and the civil servants perform in carrying out their responsibilities,” G25 said.
The group also reiterated its call in 2014 for a consultative process to be set up in the government to provide all stakeholders and civil society with the opportunity to deliberate on the formulation of Shariah laws.
This, it said, is to uphold constitutional principles of fairness and justice to Muslims and non-Muslims in relation to their rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
“We maintain that in legislating on Islamic laws in the respective state assemblies, all Malaysians should be consulted on the constitutional issues arising from the legislation proposed by the religious authorities,” G25 said.
On education reforms, G25 lauded the government’s introduction of the Dual Language Programme (DLP), calling it an effective way of making school children apply and practice the English language.
In its final recommendation, the group said Malaysians need to be reminded of the five Rukunegara principles as this would help instill a stronger sense of unity among all segments of the population.
