Johor’s 5 Nominated Adun Move Unlikely To Shift Political Balance, Analysts Say
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The Johor State Legislative Assembly’s decision to approve the addition of five appointed assemblymen is unlikely to significantly erode voter confidence despite concerns over democratic representation, according to Universiti Malaya political analyst Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub.
Mohammad Tawfik said the move should not be viewed as unusual or unprecedented in Malaysian politics, pointing out that several other states had already implemented similar mechanisms.
“I view the decision to approve five appointed assemblymen in Johor as neither strange nor extraordinary because similar practices already exist in states such as Sabah, Terengganu and Pahang,” he told TRP when contacted.
The analyst acknowledged that the move would likely strengthen the ruling government’s dominance in the state assembly, particularly given the current political landscape in Johor where Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno hold a commanding position.
However, he stressed that the benefits of the amendment are not exclusive to Umno-BN alone, arguing that any future ruling coalition would also enjoy similar advantages under the revised state constitution.
“I do not deny that appointing five additional assemblymen will create more room for dominance and strengthen the position of the ruling government.
“But this is not limited only to Umno-BN because if another coalition governs Johor in the future, they too would benefit from the same constitutional provision,” he explained.
Still, Mohammad Tawfik admitted that under the current circumstances, the move would naturally provide an added advantage to Johor Umno-BN in consolidating power after future state elections.
Despite criticism from certain quarters over concerns involving democratic space and unelected representatives, Mohammad Tawfik does not believe the issue would seriously impact public trust towards the state government.
He also said that it would be difficult for PH to fully weaponise the issue politically against Umno-BN ahead of future elections.
In fact, he suggested PH itself could eventually benefit from the same mechanism should the coalition return to power in Johor, either independently or through another unity government arrangement.
“PH could also gain from this if they eventually form the state government or dominate the Johor assembly in the future.”
Similarly, Dr Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs believes that the Johor Legislative Assembly decision to amend the state constitution, to allow the appointment of five nominated assemblymen, will not benefit PH much politically.
He said that the key political challenge for PH in Johor is not centred on the issue of nominated assemblypersons, but rather on its weakening among the electorate.
“PH’s main challenge in Johor, as in many other peninsular states, lies in its eroding Malay support that was not spectacular to start with, coupled with its conventional non-Malay support that is drifting away. It doesn’t quite have anything to do with these nominated assemblypersons,” Oh said in his WhatsApp reply to TRP.
According to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, the move aims to strengthen the legislature by bringing in professionals into the state’s policymaking process.
The decision to amend the Johor state constitution drew criticism, especially from DAP, which is part of the opposition bloc in the state.
DAP Deputy Chairman Nga Kor Ming even described the move as undermining parliamentary democracy.
With the addition of five unelected assemblymen, the Johor state assembly would have 61 members.
What is an “unelected assemblyman”?
Well, it is in the name itself. These reps are not voted by the people, rather appointed by the state government based on their expertise.
In practice, appointed assemblymen are brought in to complement the existing elected representatives in the state assembly. In some cases, they were assigned a specific constituency to serve the rakyat and were provided with an allocation equal to the one received by the government elected reps. They can even participate in debates, committee work, and voting on legislation, although their presence is not derived from a direct electoral mandate.
Critics, however frequently raise concerns about democratic legitimacy, as their presence in the legislature is not determined by voters through the ballot box.
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