IN our current political climate, Bersatu has the largest majority in Parliament and in the executive cabinet. This will lead to instability in the coalition management of Perikatan Nasional (PN).

With Azmin Ali and other PKR defector members of parliament (MPs) officially labelled as Bersatu representatives in Parliament, Bersatu has 81.8%, a margin that is larger than that of other party components; compared to Barisan Nasional (BN), which has 51.06%, while PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) have the same percentage of 44.4% in the executive cabinet.

In terms of specifics, in the executive cabinet (69 ministers including deputy ministers) Bersatu has 27 ministers, while BN has 24 ministers. PAS has the same number of executive representatives as GPS, eight executive members.

Others have one member each representing Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Rakyat Sabah (STAR).

Bersatu has only four MPs in the backbenchers and the rest is from BN (19 MPs), PAS (10 MPs) and GPS (10 MPs) who support or do the job of providing checks and balances to the executives. The question is, why does Bersatu have the lowest number of backbenchers compared to BN, PAS and GPS? 

Is the “backbenchers” title not glorious enough compared to “cabinet member” titles?

If we were to talk about checks and balances, Bersatu has only a small number of representatives in Parliament. If Bersatu really wants to continue parliamentary reform, they need to lower the number of executives and put them in the backbenchers section.

I am worried that if the backbenchers institution is not strengthened, only the opposition will be the ones to push and politicise parliamentary reform. Compared to other party components, that Bersatu has 81.8% in the executive cabinet shows that the government led by Bersatu does not focus on balancing coalition management and is clearly going after more power.

In politics, a person’s strength is based on the numbers that he has. However, in the spirit of PN coalition management, Bersatu seeks to abuse those numbers for the sake of power, to maintain its reign in Putrajaya, and say no to equity politics. Equity politics is important, this government needs that kind of indication in terms of coalition management. This core (equity politics) is a part of BN’s philosophy; we believe in the importance of political equity instead of equality politics.

Simply put, if Bersatu cares about parliamentary reform and empowering the backbenchers, they need to reduce the number of executive members and replace them with backbenchers. At the end of the day, backbenchers hold the key in every decision made for this country in the Parliament and not the government. The government only initiates and facilitates the process.

I hope this article further explains the current uncertainty of our political climate and the instability inside the Parliament. – September 2, 2020.

* Muhammad Shaqib Shahrilnizam is Pulai Umno Youth chief information officer. 

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.