Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau, Tuaran MP, believes that a Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) would be beneficial for the Bornean states. With this, the states would not have to be concerned about political domination by certain coalitions.
He addressed concerns that such a law might lead to Sabah and Sarawak losing their bargaining power, stating that it’s a misconception and that an FTPA would actually benefit the Bornean states and local-based parties. This statement was made on Friday (Jan 26).
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Tangau rejected the notion that the unity government would become too powerful with an FTPA in place. He argued that the FTPA, as part of a package, would include amendments to Parliament Standing Orders to prioritize motions of no-confidence and confidence votes.
“If any Federal Government in future hurts the interests of Sabah and Sarawak, Borneo-based parties can easily move to unseat it on the floor of the Dewan Rakyat,” he said.
He also mentioned that the FTPA would permanently close the door on the collection and counting of statutory declarations (SDs) by parliamentarians. This would address the issues caused by the shadowy game of SDs, which can negatively impact national political stability and party negotiations.
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Tangau further explained that the FTPA would prevent a prime minister from seeking royal assent for early dissolution of Parliament without two-thirds support in the House. This would ensure that the PM cannot call for an early election at a disadvantageous time for the ruling coalitions in Sabah and Sarawak. He also suggested that the FTPA could be extended or adopted as laws by individual states.
“Such a law would put an end to speculations of early elections like what’s currently happening in Sabah,” he added, emphasizing that it would allow Federal and state governments to focus till the end of their respective terms.
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Furthermore, Tangau, who was a federal minister, suggested the need for the government to issue a green paper to dispel misinformation about the FTPA. Unlike a white paper, a green paper facilitates public discussion by providing correct information on various proposals to solicit feedback without committing the government to any proposal.
