DO ACTS OF PARLIAMENT AND STATES GET DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS AND THE PUBLIC WELL IN ADVANCE BEFORE THEY ARE TABLED FOR ADOPTION AND PASSED INTO LAW - OR LATER BY WHEN IT IS TOO LATE TO ADDRESS AND REMEDY THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE ARMCHAIR BEURAUCRATS.
The Act applied in the case of the doctor recently jailed for not registering his clinic was passed in a manner typical of our Parliament – legislation was drafted secretly and surreptitiously and then rushed through Parliament.
Obviously, no one has the chance to read drafted legislation nowadays. And many don’t bother reading the drafts because they may be too busy scrounging around for other favours. Many do not even dare ask that drafts be posted for public scrutiny and comments as they would in civilised societies.
Laws must be passed only after they have had the consent of the governed, not the consent of those waiting for contracts and other perks. Drafted laws must be circulated well in advance to the public and civic groups so that people with a greater interest in the subject – and people whose love for their country is greater than their love for contracts and perks – have a chance to study and discuss the legislation.
It is apparent from the many bills that just fly through Parliament, that no member of the cabinet really takes a serious interest in reading drafted bills. Bills also receive rushed readings as evidenced in many cases.
The law passed by Parliament that might have lost this country a good doctor is a fine example of the ludicrous manner in which Acts are drawn up and passed. THE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2007 AND THE SURUHANJAYA KOPERASI MALAYSIA ACT 2007
Soon, two more rashly-passed bills – the Cooperative Commission Act 2007 and the Coooperative Societies (Amendment) Act 2007 – will pose problems for the more than three million people who are members of cooperatives in this country. Both bills are designed to strip cooperative societies of their funds for use by a bunch of bureaucrats who have no clue about managing or operating cooperative societies in real life situations.
Some urban cooperative societies have existed for more than 80 years, and many members have saved for their retirement and other needs exclusively through the cooperatives.
The two Acts were never brought to the public’s attention or to the attention of the more than 4,000 cooperative organisations in the country. Apparently, they were discussed with certain academics with little knowledge on how to manage and operate cooperatives.
Now that cooperative members are aware of the new legislation, cooperatives are finding themselves inundated with applications from members wanting to resign and withdraw their funds. This may portend the doom of voluntary cooperatives in the urban sector.
Without funds, and without the zeal of the cooperative members who manage these large public sector cooperatives, the movement will slowly cease to exist in this country.
Cooperatives in rural areas may creep along for sometime before they too wither and pass away. This will mean the end of the cooperative movement in Malaysia and the end of an era.
Long live the meaningless bills that are hurriedly passed by our ever alert members of Parliament!
The Act applied in the case of the doctor recently jailed for not registering his clinic was passed in a manner typical of our Parliament – legislation was drafted secretly and surreptitiously and then rushed through Parliament.
Obviously, no one has the chance to read drafted legislation nowadays. And many don’t bother reading the drafts because they may be too busy scrounging around for other favours. Many do not even dare ask that drafts be posted for public scrutiny and comments as they would in civilised societies.
Laws must be passed only after they have had the consent of the governed, not the consent of those waiting for contracts and other perks. Drafted laws must be circulated well in advance to the public and civic groups so that people with a greater interest in the subject – and people whose love for their country is greater than their love for contracts and perks – have a chance to study and discuss the legislation.
It is apparent from the many bills that just fly through Parliament, that no member of the cabinet really takes a serious interest in reading drafted bills. Bills also receive rushed readings as evidenced in many cases.
The law passed by Parliament that might have lost this country a good doctor is a fine example of the ludicrous manner in which Acts are drawn up and passed. THE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2007 AND THE SURUHANJAYA KOPERASI MALAYSIA ACT 2007
Soon, two more rashly-passed bills – the Cooperative Commission Act 2007 and the Coooperative Societies (Amendment) Act 2007 – will pose problems for the more than three million people who are members of cooperatives in this country. Both bills are designed to strip cooperative societies of their funds for use by a bunch of bureaucrats who have no clue about managing or operating cooperative societies in real life situations.
Some urban cooperative societies have existed for more than 80 years, and many members have saved for their retirement and other needs exclusively through the cooperatives.
The two Acts were never brought to the public’s attention or to the attention of the more than 4,000 cooperative organisations in the country. Apparently, they were discussed with certain academics with little knowledge on how to manage and operate cooperatives.
Now that cooperative members are aware of the new legislation, cooperatives are finding themselves inundated with applications from members wanting to resign and withdraw their funds. This may portend the doom of voluntary cooperatives in the urban sector.
Without funds, and without the zeal of the cooperative members who manage these large public sector cooperatives, the movement will slowly cease to exist in this country.
Cooperatives in rural areas may creep along for sometime before they too wither and pass away. This will mean the end of the cooperative movement in Malaysia and the end of an era.
Long live the meaningless bills that are hurriedly passed by our ever alert members of Parliament!
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