47 organisasi gesa kerajaan, pembangkang meterai perjanjian 8 reformasi

A coalition of 47 civil society organizations has urged the Malaysian government and opposition parties to endorse eight key reforms aimed at restoring public and international confidence in political stability and accountability. The reform package seeks to establish a cross-party agreement involving all 218 Members of Parliament to fully implement these reforms during the current parliament term.

The agreement would introduce measures such as capping the prime minister's term at 10 years, separating the roles of public prosecutor and defense counsel, enacting a transparent Freedom of Information Act, an Ombudsman Act, and a responsible Regional Development Fund, as well as a political funding Act with party funding. Additionally, they propose a responsible electoral commission accountable to Parliament and a three-month notice period for parliament dissolution if no consensus is reached.

Without such an agreement, the importance of these reforms is at risk due to political uncertainty and exposure to non-elected influence seeking to undermine the reforms. This initiative is spearheaded by Project Sama, Bersih, C4 Center, Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs, Ikram Malaysia, and Rasuah Busters. They emphasize that the agreement must encompass the interests of both the government and opposition, and anticipate the reforms facing opposition from certain parties.

The success of these reforms deserves credit to each of the 218 MPs supporting them. The coalition calls on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to maintain continuous communication with the highest leadership of National Unity Front as they enter the final year of their administration. This moment represents a crucial opportunity for Anwar to unite all parties and drive significant change, providing the PN government with a comprehensive proposal and demonstrating their visionary and democratic commitment to Malaysia post-PRU16.