Time to bring back the third vote

Malaysians living in 12 cities, 38 towns and 98 rural districts across the country have been deprived of elected representation for more than half a century.

WE may be under an Emergency now, but this is as good a time as any to talk about democracy. As the word is made up from two Greek terms – “demos” (people) and “kratos” (rule), democracy basically means rule by the people.

What constitutes a democracy? In a nutshell, it should embody these key principles: A system to choose governments through free and fair elections, ensures active participation of the populace in politics, and practises the rule of law under which the rules must apply equally to all citizens