KUCHING: Switching from one agency to another on the matter of political party registration is inconsequential because what matters most is the quality of the agency and the people who work there, opines a political scientist.
Prof Dr Jayum Jawan said it made no difference who was in charge, questioning the purpose behind the shift from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to the Election Commission (EC) and how it would improve the management of the political process and parties.
“Politicians like to make simple suggestions to gain points, and this is clearly a political stunt to draw people’s attention.
“Both ROS and EC are institutions that need to be reformed in order for them to provide better services as well as to lead transformation in their respective spheres of power and responsibilities,” he said in response to Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming’s recommendation that Putrajaya looked into the EC at being responsible for political party registration.
Prof Jayum from Universiti Putra Malaysia noted that changing from one agency to another would just pass on the problems and challenges that plagued the former (ROS) to the latter (EC).
“The actual transformation is to pluralise the agency (make it more multi-ethnic in nature) so that possible wrongdoings cannot be covered by a single (ethnic) group because there will be others who will be witnesses to the potential wrongdoings.”
Prof Jayum emphasised the importance of both institutions (ROS and EC) in having a multi-ethnic character.
Given the large number of eyes on them, he added that potential wrongdoers would be dissuaded from engaging in any kind of unpleasant behaviours.
“An agency dominated by one ethnic group is prone to covering for one another. Comradeship is one of the instances.
“If we want a more effective agency that better serves the people, we need to dismantle this type of treatment.”
