HOUSE OF DEMOCRACY
The recent dissolution of the Malaysian Parliament prompts Alan Teh Leam Seng to delve into the origins of our most important symbol of democratic freedom
The library is packed. It’s hardly surprising as it’s the weekend here in Kedah. Finding myself searching high and low for seats in the packed reference section, jostling with many eager others, I eventually get my ‘port’ near the window.
Having secured my place, placing my folder to ‘mark’ my presence, I make a beeline towards some formidable-looking book racks, each filled with reading materials stacked nearly as high as the ceiling. Before long, I return with an armful of books and start sifting through them.
I take the next hour or so to slowly digest the mountain of information. By then, it becomes obvious to me that none of the states which are part of Malaysia had parliaments or any form resembling it prior to Independence except for Sarawak which had its Council Negri. The remaining states at that time were compliant to the British High Commissioner.
Established by James Brooke in 1863, the Council provided for local participation and representation in the state’s administration. Despite the appearance of having the ability to make executive decisions, the fact remained that the Council Negri remained subservient to Brooke who was still the supreme law maker in Sarawak.
It was only during the lead up to Merdeka in 1957 that the concept of having a Parliament became a reality. The Reid Commission, which drafted the Constitution of Malaya, modelled the Malayan system of government after the English bicameral parliament structure.
MirroringtheBritishHouseofCommons and House of Lords, the Malayan system provided for an all-powerful, directlyelected house called Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the other, comprising appointed members with limited powers, named Dewan Negara (Senate).
The Malayan Constitution provided for the pre-independence Federal Legislative Council to continue serving as the Federation of Malaya’s governing body until 1959, when the first postindependence general election was held and the first Parliament of Malaya was elected.
Following the first general election after Independence, the Parliament of
the Federation of Malaya met for the first time on Sept 11, 1959 at Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall in Maxwell Road (now Jalan Tun Ismail).
This building was officially declared open a year earlier on Feb 24, 1958 by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. Known prior to its opening as the International Conference Hall, the venue was renamed in honour of the much loved premier when he officiated the opening.
Malaya’s first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad, officiated the opening of our nation’s inaugural Parliament. This momentous event saw the pioneer group of Parliament members convene concurrently in the same building for the first time in history.
The first order of the day was the appointment of the President and Speaker of both Dewan. This was then followed by the oath-taking ceremony of 38 senators and 104 elected representatives. During their time at the Hall, the Dewan Negara occupied the ground floor while the upper level was reserved for the Dewan Rakyat. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN HALL
Suddenly, a binder filled with stamp magazines catches my attention. In one of them, I find a comprehensive listing of the different Parliament-themed stamps produced in our country since the institution’s inception. According to the information available, the Malayan Postal Services issued stamps of three denominations to mark this historic 1959 inauguration.
Apart from the 4 cents (red), 10 cents (red) and 25 cents (green) stamps, a plethora of official and private first day covers were also printed. Among the illustrations, I notice an attractively designed envelope addressed to a private individual at Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall.
This discovery makes me realise that the use of Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall back then wasn’t exclusive to the Parliament members. On days when the law makers didn’t meet, this building was used to host various events pertinent to the development of Malaya as a young nation.
The lack of privacy and exclusivity greatly disturbed Tunku Abdul Rahman. He felt that the Parliament, as one of the