Fixed Term Parliament Act – One idea, four variants, four questions

An advantage: Like midterm exams that force students to work hard throughput the whole year, mid-term elections force governments to pay attention to voters’ preferences throughout the parliamentary term of five years. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

REFLECTING different expectations, at least four questions have been raised about the proposed “Fixed Term Parliament Act” (FTPA) regarding government’s full term, political stability, election date and simultaneity of federal and state elections.

As the government has not produced a green paper, let alone a Bill, to facilitate public deliberation, many comments have been made based on everyone’s own understanding of what form the Bill would take.