KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — The recent spat within the Barisan Nasional (BN) over the government’s introduction of a tourism tax highlights a fundamental parliamentary practice that is often glossed over.
And that concerns the “collective responsibility”, a convention by governments that adopt the Westminster system — like Malaysia— where ruling MPs must publicly support Cabinet decisions even if they privately disagree.
“It is an understanding, not a law. This is not a rule set in stone,” Faizal Hazis of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
The associate professor explained that the collective responsibility convention is not mandatory on elected representatives from the ruling party.
If a BN MP is unhappy with a government Bill, he or she can choose not to vote in favour of it as there are no laws that bind them from doing so.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak political analyst Jeniri Amir shared a similar view, saying that there is no written rule, but merely a silent understanding among lawmakers from the ruling coalition to render their support towards government Bills at all times.
“The unwritten rule is for them to toe the line,” he said, adding that there are no laws to bar any BN MPs from voting against Bills initiated by Putrajaya.
He said the priority and responsibility for any elected representative is to debate issues with the people’s interests in mind, especially his constituents.
Jeniri said there was no point for the BN MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to disagree with the tourism tax now when the Bill had cleared the Dewan Rakyat in January, during which they had the chance to debate or oppose the motion.
Penang-based political and social analyst Ooi Kok Hin said there have been many instances where an MP from the ruling administration opposed a government Bill in Commonwealth countries, most recently seen in the UK when it held a referendum on whether to exit the European Union or to stay.
“There can be a conscience vote and the PM can suspend the collective responsibility,” he told Malay Mail Online.
“Like in the case of the Brexit referendum, some Cabinet ministers campaigned to ‘Leave’ even though the PM campaigned to ‘Remain’,” Ooi added.
Malaysian federal Cabinet members too are no strangers to voting against a government Bill in Parliament.
An example was in 2014 when BN’s Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin backed an objection by rival PKR MP for Kuala Langat Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid against a bid to raise the remuneration of lawmakers. In the end, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim withdrew the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) (Amendment) Bill 2014 before its second reading.
Opposition MPs Steven Sim and Charles Santiago disagreed with the BN’s Sarawakian MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku, who defended his silence in speaking out against the tourism tax by saying he was obliged to support government Bills by dint of his federal Cabinet post as natural resources and environment minister.
Sim said Wan Junaidi’s assertion was unacceptable as the latter had a chance to reject the Bill at the Cabinet level and other platforms before it was tabled in Parliament.
“Why is the collective responsibility raised now? Even so, he could have objected the Bill at the Cabinet if he wanted to or oppose it when it was debated during the wee hours in Parliament.
“Why did he not do that?” the Bukit Mertajam MP asked.
Klang MP Charles said Wan Junaidi and any other BN MP opposed to the tourism law should have stood their ground earlier.
“Anyhow, he or any other MPs for that matter could oppose a Bill if he or she feels it is unsuitable for the people,” he said.
National newswire Bernama reported Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying Thursday that the quarrel between federal Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz and the Sabah and Sarawak state governments over the tourism tax has been resolved.
