Tag: political

Political Stability Should Not Depend on Single-Party Dominance

JOHOR BAHRU, June 4 — Johor DAP has cautioned against a return to single-party political dominance, arguing that long-term stability is better achieved through power-sharing, checks and balances, and cooperation among different political parties. In a statement today, Johor DAP Vice Chairman and Pakatan Harapan Johor Communications Director Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said recent remarks by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, expressing Barisan Nasional’s (BN) intention to contest all 56 Johor state seats, have raised questions about the possibility of restoring a political landscape dominated by a single party. According to Sheikh Umar, while BN’s ambition reflects its confidence and desire to form a strong and stable state government, excessive political dominance could lead to an imbalance of power and weaken democratic oversight. “Political stability does not necessarily require absolute control by one party. Stability can also be achieved through cooperation, shared responsibility and unity among parties representing different backgrounds and interests,” he said. He pointed to Malaysia’s political experience before 2018, when BN’s dominance was so entrenched that many Malaysians viewed a change of government through elections as nearly impossible. “This created a culture of political fear, where voters were often led to believe that a change in government would result in instability,” he said. Sheikh Umar said developments since the 2018 general election had demonstrated the importance of healthy political competition, effective checks and balances, and public confidence in democratic transitions of power. He also cited concerns over the recent appointment of five nominated assemblypersons ahead of the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly. While acknowledging that the appointments were lawful, he questioned whether they were necessary given the government’s existing strong majority, adding that the move had created perceptions that differing views were not adequately considered. He further noted that the decision to hold a separate Johor state election instead of aligning it with the next general election had sparked debate, particularly amid economic uncertainties linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. According to Sheikh Umar, some observers believe a standalone state election could impose additional costs on both the government and taxpayers. He said Johor and Malaysia have benefited from the current power-sharing approach at the federal level, citing development initiatives such as data centre investments, the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), and various socio-economic assistance programmes. “The political landscape has changed significantly since GE14. The idea that only one party can provide a stable and effective government is no longer the only model available,” he said. Sheikh Umar stressed that ensuring a balance of power, maintaining effective checks and balances, and fostering political cooperation would be more important in securing Johor’s long-term stability and prosperity than allowing any single party to dominate the political system.  -- MINUTESMY  --PRESSKL

JOHOR BAHRU, June 4 — Johor DAP has cautioned against a return to single-party political dominance, arguing that long-term stability is better achieved through power-sharing, checks and balances, and cooperation among different political parties. In a statement today, Johor DAP Vice Chairman and Pakatan Harapan Johor Communications Director Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said recent remarks by […]

Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun

PUTRAJAYA, May 21 -- Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun has confirmed that no by-elections will be held for the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats yesterday. He said the matter was based on Article 54(1) of the Federal Constitution, whereby Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul had informed the EC that there was no necessity to fill the casual vacancies. “In line with that, no by-election for the P.100 Pandan and P.118 Setiawangsa parliamentary constituencies will be held,” he said in a statement today. He said the EC received notification from Johari through a letter dated today regarding the status of the two parliamentary seats after they were declared vacant under Article 51 of the Federal Constitution. On Sunday (May 17), Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who is also a former PKR deputy president, and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, a former PKR vice-president, announced that they would vacate their parliamentary seats on Monday and leave the party effective Tuesday through letters submitted to the party secretary-general. They subsequently took over Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), a small political party based in Penang. -- BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA, May 21 — Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun has confirmed that no by-elections will be held for the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats yesterday. He said the matter was based on Article 54(1) of the Federal Constitution, whereby Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul had informed the EC that […]

ASEAN targets 30 percent intra-regional trade by 2030 – Mohamad

CEBU: ASEAN is committed to strengthening intra-regional trade, including increasing trade between member countries to at least 30 percent by 2030. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said ASEAN member states need to move as a more organised and united bloc to address the impact of global conflicts, including disruptions to regional trade, economy and security, especially during conflicts in West Asia. He said ASEAN needs to emphasize efforts to streamline free trade agreements (FTAs) and facilitate the movement of goods among member countries to strengthen intra-ASEAN trade. "Intra-ASEAN trade has not yet reached 25 percent. We want trade between ASEAN countries to reach at least 30 percent by 2030." "We are looking at the current status, the obstacles and the steps that need to be taken. Therefore, we want the memorandum of understanding (MoU), ASEAN FTA and the movement of goods to be streamlined." "If possible, trade between ASEAN countries should also not be subject to tariffs," he told Malaysian media on Thursday. Mohamad said the conflict in West Asia was an important lesson to ASEAN that cooperation and understanding among member countries was essential to face regional and global challenges. "Each has its strengths and advantages. We need to find a formula for how we can strengthen cooperation and help each other," he said. Regarding the ASEAN Foreign and Economic Ministers' Joint Meeting held on Thursday, Mohamad said it was an initiative initiated under the Malaysian chairmanship to ensure coordination between the political-security and economic pillars. He said that ASEAN's development had previously been largely based on political and security aspects, but the focus had now shifted to strengthening the economy and more comprehensive regional cooperation. He said that a joint meeting involving ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers was held to ensure that every decision could be coordinated across all ASEAN pillars, including economic, social and cultural.

CEBU: ASEAN is committed to strengthening intra-regional trade, including increasing trade between member countries to at least 30 percent by 2030. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said ASEAN member states need to move as a more organised and united bloc to address the impact of global conflicts, including disruptions to regional trade, economy and […]

Unity Government Leaders Agree to Maintain Cooperation in Negeri Sembilan

The Unity Government Leadership Consultative Council, co-chaired by Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday, has agreed to maintain cooperation between UMNO and Pakatan Harapan in Negeri Sembilan. In a meeting held on 5 May 2026, the council reached a consensus to preserve the Unity Government framework in the state, emphasizing the importance of political stability and the well-being of the people. The council also expressed respect for the positions taken by both parties’ political bureaus concerning ongoing issues in Negeri Sembilan. Additionally, the council decided that any state government decisions that could potentially spark sensitivities or lead to disputes must be promptly referred to the joint consultative body for further deliberation. The statement was jointly issued by Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki following the meeting. -- MINUTESMY -- CREDIT: FB PAKATAN HARAPAN

The Unity Government Leadership Consultative Council, co-chaired by Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday, has agreed to maintain cooperation between UMNO and Pakatan Harapan in Negeri Sembilan. In a meeting held on 5 May 2026, the council reached a consensus to preserve the Unity Government framework in the state, emphasizing the importance of political […]

Calls For Action Against Rafizi: PM Anwar Says Focus On Economy First

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all parties to focus on economic issues facing the country rather than internal political matters. Anwar, who is also PKR president, said this includes calls by several party leaders for action to be taken against former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli. “It is okay. I advise them to remain calm and focus on economic issues facing the country, which are far more serious than personal matters,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers and solat hajat at Masjid Nurussaadah here today. Previously, several party leaders, including PKR Central Leadership Council member A. Kumaresan, had called for action to be taken against Rafizi, alleging that the Pandan MP was undermining the party. Earlier, Rafizi challenged PKR to sack him when defending several statements he made against the party leadership, which were listed in the second show-cause letter issued yesterday. Rafizi has reportedly been vocal in criticising the government and PKR since stepping down as PKR deputy president and resigning as economy minister in May last year.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all parties to focus on economic issues facing the country rather than internal political matters. Anwar, who is also PKR president, said this includes calls by several party leaders for action to be taken against former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi […]