Ku Li: We go to Parliament for the people not Umno

By Jaynne Koh

KUALA LUMPUR: Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has called for a review of federal-state relations, in order to keep up with recent developments.

"I had suggested during a meeting with a Ruler 25 years ago, who incidentally is still alive today, of the need for changes in (federal government and state) relations," he told a Bar Council forum here yesterday.

Tengku Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li, said other countries which adopted federalism, such as Canada and Australia, had made changes to their agreements.

"Because Barisan Nasional has been in control of the country for such a long time, controlling all the states except Kelantan, people have taken things for granted... even elected representatives, like me, feel that I represent Umno more than representing advocacy," he said.

"That is wrong. In fact, we go to Parliament on behalf of the people, and therefore whatever views we put forward in Parliament must reflect the aspiration of those people who sent us to Parliament," he said.

Citing an example, he said when the Menteris Besar assemble with other leaders, they talk of their own political problems and not of state crimes or of issues which impinge on the rights of the people whom they are supposed to represent.

"By and by, people assumed that things are controlled by the centre, and there's where powers are concentrated because we have more and more 'yes men' around. This is a problem we have to correct, we cannot allow this to go on," he said.

Expert panellists at the forum spoke on issues relating to the supremacy of the federal constitution, the separation of powers and on federal-states relations. The forum also touched on the the roles of the legislature, judiciary, executive, citizens and fundamental liberties such as elections and democrary, and Sabah and Sarawak states.

The forum was coordinated by the Bar's Constitutional Law Committee as part of its continuing MyConstitution campaign, launched last year. The campaign aims to reach out by equipping Malaysians with basic knowledge of the federal constitution.

Another forum, "Oil Royalty: A Constitutional Right?", will be held on March 20 at Level 1 of the Bar Council auditorium in Kuala Lumpur.

Read Tengku Razaleigh's speech in full