LETTERS: The future looks bleak for the country if the political situation continues to exist with politicians disregarding the interests of the people.
What is the route forward for Malaysia and what guarantees are there in place to ensure that politicians act in the best interests of the people and that they convey the concerns of the people in Parliament and, most important of all, they would represent the views of the people that put them in power?
It is time that we make politicians, irrespective of which side of the political divide, be accountable for their actions and they represent the views of the people that voted for them through a feedback channel like the people's Parliament.
The cardinal principle of the people's Parliament would ensure that the powers that are vested in the hands of the politicians are transferred to the people.
It has been said before that the business of politics is too serious to be left in the hands of politicians.
Malaysia is a case in point that shows that our politicians have oppressed democracy, and repudiated public accountability and transparency, which are the cornerstones of democracy
The people's Parliament would ensure that parliamentarians represent the views of the people they represent and debates are held in Parliament that would discuss issues facing the rakyat.
Parliamentary debates suggest that there is a fair share of people who are not able to contribute to debates but behave like hoodlums and impede the functioning of democracy.
The citizens of this country must not be subservient to the politicians and the people that put them in power.
Images of politicians making donations with their photos plastered on aid packages when, in fact, the money belongs to the taxpayers are nauseating.
The people's Parliament can adopt the principles of consensus decision-making and the majority of the people can decide on the route that politicians can take in Parliament.
Currently, parliamentarians are no longer bound by the wishes of the voters but rather they are beholden to whips and party leaders, and perhaps their political funders.
These would ensure that there are check and balances on our politicians.
The models to be adopted can be decided later but Malaysia must move away from toxic politics to one that's based on consensus and is developmental.
SATHISH GOVIND
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times