SUPP Stakan pushes for legal mechanism to recall MPs, ADUNs

KUCHING (March 25): The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Stakan Branch has proposed the introduction of a Recall Law in Sarawak, giving voters the power to “sack” or recall their Member of Parliament (MP) or State Legislative Assembly representatives (ADUN) before the end of their five-year term under specific circumstances.

SUPP Stakan chairman Cr Dato Sim Kiang Chiok said the law is crucial to uphold democratic integrity and ensure elected officials remain accountable to their constituents.

“A victory at the polls should not be a ‘blank cheque’ for five years of unaccountability. When a representative fails the people, voters should not have to wait until the next General Election to take action,” he said in a statement.

Under the proposal, a recall can be initiated if a representative reneges on core campaign promises, misleads the State Legislative Assembly or Parliament, or is involved in substantiated moral misconduct that tarnishes the dignity of office.

Sim suggested a mechanism where at least 10 per cent of registered voters in a constituency must support a petition to trigger a recall process.

Once verified, a recall election or formal removal procedure would follow.

He cited international examples of recall laws in action. In the United Kingdom, the Recall of MPs Act 2015 allows voters to remove an MP convicted of certain offences, suspended from the House following a Committee on Standards report, or found guilty of misleading parliamentary allowances claims.

A petition is open for six weeks, and if 10 per cent of voters sign, a by-election is triggered.

Similarly, Senedd Cymru in Wales recently passed legislation enabling constituents to remove Members of the Senedd between elections, strengthening accountability and public trust.

“These international examples demonstrate that recall laws strengthen — not weaken — parliamentary democracy. They ensure elected leaders remain answerable to the rakyat throughout their term.

“In this new era of Sarawakian politics, as we advance our rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, we must also ensure our internal democratic standards are world-class.

“If an MP or ADUS betrays the trust of voters or behaves in a manner unbecoming of a leader, the people must have the legal tool to withdraw their mandate,” said Sim.

He urged authorities to study the feasibility of incorporating a Recall Act into the state legislative framework and consider similar provisions at the federal level to further reinforce accountability in both the State Legislative Assembly and Parliament.