KUCHING, Sept 26: A law allowing referendum will help lawmakers to decide on making amendment on existing laws, as well as enacting new laws.
SUPP women’s chief Kho Teck Wan believed that any decision made during referendum will be one made with a shared responsibility.
“Referendum allowed decision making to be a shared responsibility. Law makers will feel much easier to make changes and create new laws that are based on the result of referendum as well,” she said in a statement today.
She cautioned that the referendum laws must be comprehensive.
“That being said, it is very important that the referendum law be carefully drafted and reviewed by all lawmakers and legislative bodies before it is passed.
“Extensive education on the specific topic for referendum needed to be conducted and cover all corners of the society before any referendum can be carried out,” she said.
Kho agreed with Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who upheld that the federal government should enact a law to allow referendum to be held in order to give citizens their say on major issues that affects them.
Wan Junaidi said this during the “Referendum – Facts and Legal Implications” forum organised by Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA) on Tuesday.
Kho believed that referendum law can prevent prolonged demonstration, which is detrimental to economy and may cause political chaos.
“Issues such as (Sarawak) exiting Malaysia, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights, even minimum age to get marriage can be decided through referendum.
“Many demonstrations and riots happened in the world due to the frustration that people’s voices are not being heard by the government and as we all know, prolonged demonstration dampened the economy and caused political instability.
“It is costly and definitely not an easy process, but I think it is about time we have the law,” said Kho. — DayakDaily
