COMMENT | Is it so hard to ask for a proper democracy?

COMMENT | I think the days of politicians giving the rakyat advice and telling us what to do, which is supposedly in our best interest, is gone. Also gone is the overwhelming dominance of any particular political party in the government. All these are good things and are signs that Malaysia is progressing towards being a mature democracy.

The mark or tipping point for this progression is the May 9, 2018 general election when the country managed to oust Barisan Nasional which had been the government forever (up to that point) since the country’s independence. This is a party that was so dominant that it had two- thirds majority for most of its ruling years.

It isn’t important who took over the government then. What is important is that it happened. The significance of that is that Malaysians will now realise they can actually have a say in determining how the country is administered and governed. There is more balance in Parliament and no one party has enough majority to change and create laws without opposition.

It means that any law that is to be abolished, amended or enacted will have to gain support from all sides, meaning from the government and also the opposition. When a situation like that exists, it means everything will be properly and comprehensively debated in order to get the buy-in from everyone. Basically, everyone wins.

Take, for example, the Undi18 Act. The government of the day then, which was Pakatan Harapan, proposed it. The opposition then...