From London Move to Dubai Move, we have heard too much about rumours of opposition ploys to bring down the Unity Government.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed a new bill to make it compulsory for a newly installed government to serve a full five-year term upon consent of His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The DPM’s proposal has sparked a heated round of debates among the people, some for and others against it.

PAS Sec-Gen Takiyuddin Hassan, for instance, has hit out at such proposal, arguing that the Federal Constitution has permitted a change of government other than through a general election.

In the meantime, other NGOs, including Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (SAMA), are strongly supportive of a Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) to ensure political stability lest the government be distracted from more important matters by things such as the Dubai Move.

There have been voices calling for the enactment of the FTPA in recent years. Last February, MP for Kuala Selangor Dzukefly Ahmad proposed such a bill and was seconded by Bersih. The same proposal was also made by our Washington envoy Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Generally speaking, the main purpose of the bill’s proponents is to fend off political turmoil and maintain stability.

The 2020 Sheraton Move that brought down the Pakatan Harapan government not only opened the Pandora’s box but also set a precedent for creating backdoor government through seizure of power, plunging the country into years of instability.

From Mahathir to Muhyiddin and then Ismail Sabri, we witnessed frequent changes of government leaders, as leaders tried to rope in the support of rival lawmakers in an attempt to take down a democratically elected government.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor recently claimed that Perikatan Nasional had collected enough SDs to overthrow the Unity Government, anytime.

Although the Unity Government has repeatedly denied that it is on the verge of collapse, such rumours have triggered a sense of uneasiness among many, in particular foreign investors whose confidence in putting their money in this country has been adversely affected.

Political stability is the prerequisite for economic takeoff. Investor confidence will definitely be impacted if rumours of toppling government run wild from start to end of the year.

In view of this, it is imperative that the FTPA be enacted as soon as possible to ensure political stability, so that the government’s economic revival plans can be implemented smoothly.

While the FTPA may not necessarily fix the problem once and for all, at least it marks a progressive reform towards a healthier political system.

While this appears to be the right way, there are nevertheless points of contention. As a matter of fact, PAS is not the only entity that objects; there are divergent voices within the Unity Government itself!

Sarawak Premier Abang Jo feels that the proposed bill goes against the principle of freedom of choice, while PBM President Larry Sng dismisses the FTPA as undemocratic.

While preserving political stability, the FTPA must also ensure the right of elected representatives as well as the principle of democracy.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said has pointed out that the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) under the Prime Minister’s Department will seriously look into this proposal this year, and will listen to the views of the people before submitting a report to the cabinet.

That said, we need to stress here that the existence of the Act is not to deny lawmakers of their right to change the government. The authorities can clearly put down substantial conditions that can legitimately bring about a change of government, in the Act.

As SAMA mentioned in its statement, a government should serve its full five-year term unless the prime minister loses the confidence of Parliament, or at least two-thirds of MPs pass a resolution calling for an early dissolution.

And the “loss of confidence” should be limited to the passing of a no-confidence motion, the defeat of a confidence motion, or the defeat of a budget (supply bill) in the second or third reading.

In other words, any move to topple the government must be done in broad daylight within the August House and not through signing of SDs!

Strictly speaking, the proposed Act will not completely prevent something similar to Sheraton Move from taking place again, but will set the bar much higher and minimise the risk of an abrupt change of government half-way through the parliamentary term.

Having endured political uncertainty over the past few years, Malaysians have now grown sick of coups, and hope the country’s political situation will be stable and the economy will rebound robustly.

While the FTPA may not necessarily fix the problem once and for all, at least it marks a progressive reform towards a healthier political system.