‘Criticise if the Govt goes astray’

People told they have a right to voice out

Bar Council forum tells the public they have a right to speak up.

KUALA LUMPUR: The public should criticise and hold the Pakatan Harapan government accountable without waiting for a certain time frame to end.

The criticisms are vital as they point out things that didn’t seem right, said Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.

“I don’t think there is a time frame for criticism. If you think things are not right, then you should say so.

“I think if we wait for the changes we want to accomplish to voice out ... it will be too late,” she said at a public forum on the “Importance of a Strong Opposition for a Vibrant Democracy” yesterday.

The forum was coorganised by the Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee and the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers and Pupils Committee.

Maria said people were already voicing out their dissatisfaction on issues such as the high prices of consumptionbased items despite the zerorated Goods and Services Tax on them.

“But it has to be much louder and we shouldn’t be waiting after 100 days to raise our criticisms,” she said.

The Pakatan government promised several initiatives in its 100day election manifesto.

Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Law’s associate professor Dr Azmi Sharom said criticisms were needed but the public had to be “clever” about it.

“There is no time limit but there is a method. You need to be more refined about it,” he said.

Fellow panel speaker Tunku Zain Al’ Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz, who is the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economics Affairs, said this should not be a “honeymoon period” for the Government.

“The time is now; we need to be vigilant. I think it has already happened – there are a couple of Uturns,” he said.

Tunku Zain said this in regards to certain issues, such as when Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the AntiFake News Act 2018 would be looked into but the Pakatan election manifesto promised to abolish the legislation.

Meanwhile, another panellist Andy Yong Kim Seng, who is Gerakan Youth deputy chief said Barisan Nasional needed to realise its role as the Opposition and play its part effectively.

“I hope those from Barisan who played an effective role as a lapdog will play their part as a watchdog.

“I foresee many of them opposing for the sake of (doing so).”

Yong said he was impressed with Pakatan leaders such as Liew Chin Tong, Tony Pua and Rafizi Ramli on their ability to become an effective Opposition then.

“They worked so hard ... but I don’t see that from this side (Barisan),” he said.

However, all is not lost as Yong felt that Barisan could play its part as a “credible, impactful and effective” role as the Opposition after it had undergone an internal transformation.

“They have the calibre, mechanism and resources. Once they overcome it, I am sure we can achieve a mature democracy in the country,” he said.