Heralding a new federalism

IF the 14th General Election in 2018 welcomed a new Malaysia, the just concluded six state elections should herald a new federalism in the country.

Federalism divides political power between the different parts of the federation. In Malaysia, there is the “federal government” and there are “state governments”.

Like the idea of the separation of powers, federalism is about sharing power between the different entities. By dividing power between the entities, federalism strengthens representative democracy, can protect liberty, encourage experimentation and reform, and can promote local decisions on issues of local importance.

The last is what the state elections should be about. Did we witness that?

State elections decide the next state governments that will make decisions about issues that affect the people in the respective states, for example (borrowing an Australian example) hospitals, crime prevention, education and training, and transport and road safety. These are local issues.

Instead, in the elections we witnessed this month, there were narratives about the elections being a referendum on the Federal Government (they are not), as well as on 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues, and the national economy. Both sides of the divide campaigned along these lines.

So kudos to the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election (Bersih) for spearheading the #VoteLokal campaign intended to put the focus on, and draw voters’ attention to, state and local issues. The campaign rightly highlighted that state governments appoint local councillors whose decisions directly impact local services, development, and businesses. In short, state elections are important because they directly impact the people’s quality of life.

Be that as it may, it is heartening to note there have been positive remarks following the results on Saturday.

Pakatan Harapan chairperson and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in urging all Malaysians and political parties to set aside their differences and work towards improving the country, said, “This is the time for everyone across all parties, despite winning or losing, to unite and uphold peace.”

Anwar also assured us the unity government would work even harder following the state polls: “We will work hard and continue to serve the people, in line with the aspirations of Economy Madani,” he said (“Anwar: Time to put aside differences and put country first”, Sunday Star, Aug 13; online at bit.ly/star_after).

Kedah Perikatan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor too was reported to have assured his constituents that the soon-to-be-sworn-in state government would not mistreat the state Opposition. He promised a state government that would be “fair, loving and rich with ehsan” (kindness).

If the assurances are kept, today there should be only one winner and no losers of the state elections. And that winner should be a new federalism that divides and limits power, protecting the individual; and that is modern, flexible and efficient, giving the people a range of choices and allowing policies and services to be tailored to meet the needs of different communities.

A new federalism should bring economic and social advantages to all of the people. Let it not be as short-lived as the new Malaysia.

HAFIZ HASSAN

Bukit Baru

Melaka