The Malaysian Insight

BERSATU’S proposal to change its voting system is to, among others, stop Sabah members from becoming kingmakers in the party, said a political analyst.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said Bersatu members from the state – expected to exceed 200,000 soon – have the power to determine the party’s leadership under the current “one member, one vote” system.

The Sabah chapter now has about 127,000 registered members, with the figure to top 200,000 once it completes registration for all, making it the state with the largest Bersatu membership.

The party wants to amend its constitution, with the aim of changing its voting system, among other goals, during its extraordinary general meeting scheduled for July 20.

Recently, deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir said Bersatu wants to adopt the voting system used by Umno.

“This means branch chiefs get to vote for division chiefs, and division chiefs get to vote for supreme council members,” said Lee.

He warned that the system is not without issues.

“The ‘one member, one vote’ system as practised by PKR allows room for factions to be created. But adopting Umno’s voting system could encourage money politics within the party.”

He said the Umno system is a “little undemocratic” when compared to PKR’s, but added that problems like money politics can be controlled or reduced.

The Bersatu EGM comes ahead of party elections scheduled for September.

A source said it is believed that the “uncertainty” of the current voting system was what led Mukhriz to say the top three party posts would likely not see contests.

Mukhriz had said members did not seem interested in vying for his post, or those of Dr Mahathir Mohamad (chairman) and Muhyiddin Yassin (president).

As of mid-May, Bersatu had set up 25 divisions in Sabah, and is now the second-largest ruling party in the state with nine assemblymen.

Ahead of Bersatu’s launch in the state in April, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah leader Lajim Ukin had dissolved his party and proposed to 60,000 followers a mass exodus to Bersatu.

Sabah Bersatu’s membership mostly comprises former Umno members, who quit the Barisan Nasional lynchpin last December. – July 6, 2019.