Wong Chen must stick around and deliver
Subang Jaya MP Wong Chen announced yesterday that he will be going to France for a break.
But it's more than a family holiday as he said he is contemplating his future in politics and expressed a deep concern over the slow pace of reforms.
Perhaps he should consider some of the lessons of the French Revolution during which the government collapsed into terror and anarchy when rival factions turned on each other.
Of course, Malaysia's scenario is not remotely comparable to that period of history, when the French Revolution devoured its children.
Nonetheless, we saw the chaos that followed the Sheraton Move of 2020, which was partially rooted in factional strife within Wong's own party.
I would urge Wong to take the time to recharge his battery and come back stronger.
Yes, reforms have been taking their time but a few have been accomplished, many others are in the pipeline, and more can be done further down the road. Don't give up now, when so much hangs in the balance.
Reforms have been achieved through the abolition of the mandatory death penalty, the passage of the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025, the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024, and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.
Other reforms have been promised in the short term, such as amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, a review of the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009, proposed term limits for the prime minister, and the enactment of laws on urban renewal and freedom of information.
Still more are under review such as separating the powers of the attorney-general and public prosecutor. Maybe even the full abolition of the death penalty.
We have to acknowledge some political realities: the Madani government is an unwieldy multi-party coalition with differing degrees of commitment to reform. That's not an excuse. Just reality.
For example, local council elections might be hard to push through as Pakatan Harapan has a very strong presence in Malaysia's urban centres but many other parties – both within and outside of the coalition – have a vested interest in preventing the return of such polls.
One thing I am sure of: the likes of Wong must not surrender now. Instead, they must redouble their efforts.
Nurul Anna Mausar is a law student and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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