00:00A recent constitutional amendment bill passed by the Johor State Assembly may be challenged
00:05in court as being the antithesis of a true democracy, a constitutional lawyer said.
00:11Bastian Pius Van Darugan said parliamentary democracy hinges on the people's will being
00:15represented in legislative bodies and voters should have a say in who represents them.
00:20He was commenting after DAP Deputy Chairman Nga Kor Min claimed that the Johor government's move
00:25to introduce appointed assemblymen went against the federal constitution.
00:30Van Darugan said a Johor voter may have sufficient legal standing to challenge the state law and
00:35that the courts should give a view on its constitutionality.
00:38Nga said it also allowed politicians to become assemblymen via a backdoor without being elected
00:44by the people.
00:45Despite protests from Pakistan Harapan, the Johor State Assembly passed the constitutional amendment
00:50bill on May 7th, allowing five unelected assemblymen to be appointed.
00:54Meanwhile, lawyer Fahri Azad said the amendment has serious governance and financial implications
01:00and appears to allow greater executive control of the state legislature.
01:04Dansh Rajareza, FMT
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