Abolish senate, says Karpal

GEORGE TOWN: DAP chairman Karpal Singh wants the Senate or Dewan Negara to be abolished as it no longer served any purpose.

The party’s senior parliamentarian said the Senate was no longer necessary in today’s fast changing political climate and urged the government emulate the Singapore style of a single house of representatives.

Unlike the Senate, he said the Dewan Rakyator the lower house stood a on high moral ground and was supreme because its members were directly elected by the people.

“The Federal Constitution should be amended to abolish the Senate. A unicameral house with single legislative chamber, like in Singapore, would be best suited in the interest of the public,” Karpal told newsmen here today.

He said Senators sit in the Parliament via back door appointments and are not directly elected by the people in public polls.

He said Senate appointments encouraged those rejected by the people and others to be brought into Parliament via the back door.

He said such personalities should be shown the exit door, lamenting the fact that even Pakatan Rakyat states were also appointing back door parliamentarians.

He said parliamentarians should be elected, not appointed to represent the people, adding that the remuneration given to Senators was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“There is no need for the Senate. It does not serve any useful purpose. It is an unnecessary expense borne by the people. The Senate should be abolished,” he said.

The Dewan Negara has 70 senators, 26 of whom are elected by the state legislative assemblies, with two senators for each state in the federation.

“The remaining 44, including four, to represent the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, are appointed by His Majesty the King.

Those appointed must have rendered outstanding service in commerce, industry, agriculture, cultural or social activities, or be representatives of racial minorities, or have competence in representing the interests of the natives of Peninsular and Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Karpal, the three-term Bukit Gelugor MP, described the appointment of unelected ministers Abdul Wahid Omar, Idris Jala and Paul Low Seng Kwan, and deputy ministers P Waythamoorthy, J Loga Bala Mohan, Ahmad Bashar Md Hanapiah as a mockery.

He said there was a dire need for ministers and deputy ministers to be elected directly to Dewan Rakyat before they are appointed to the Cabinet.

“Personalities, who did not have the people’s backing though direct election, have no moral right to sit in the Cabinet,” said Karpal.

source :https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/18/abolish-senate-says-karpal/

I personally agreed with YB Karpal Singh point of view as by democracy only the candidates that elected by the people should have the authorities to represent the rakyat in Malaysia. This mean the quality of each candidate will be improve and only the candidate that are caliber will be contesting in the election.