FPTP

The Voting System Currently Practiced in Malaysia (The Dewan Rakyat): “First-Past-
The- Post” (FPTP)/ “Simple majority”/ “Winners take it all” system - the candidate with the
largest number of votes in each constituency is duly elected, although he/she may not
necessarily have received more than half the votes cast.
The party that wins the majority number of seats (not votes) wins that particular
election, and can form a government. Same as in the UK.
Advantages are as follow. Simplicity and ease of operation. Voters are used to the
system; it is easily understood, and works in an uncomplicated manner. Local link between
the MP & constituency preserved.
Stable government with: The system produces stable majorities & strong govt with a
reasonable amount of support. Accountable Governments: (See the operation of the doctrine
of collective responsibility).
A party cannot blame any minority parties with which it would have had to form a
coalition. In other words, the system gives rise to single party governments. Clear choice: it
offers voters a clear choice. This is because they know what they are voting for i.e., what the
party represent. By-election: This allows sections of the public to register their views on the
progress of govt between elections.
Excludes extremist parties from parliamentary representation. An extremist party is
unlikely to win any seats under FPTP system.
There are a few disadvantages. Wasted votes: It is undemocratic in the sense that
many votes are wasted. Votes cast are not taken into account or consideration when it comes
to the formation of the government of the day.
The system is unrepresentative i.e., runner-up get absolutely no credit whatsoever in
the FPTP system. It may produce minority governments. – votes it received are too little.
The relationship between votes won & seats won: It is vital that the number of seats
won reflects, to a certain degree of accuracy, the number of votes won by a particular party
on national scale. Discriminates against third parties & creates a bi-polar system. Extremism-
encourage “mindless party solidarity” & to favour “extreme wings” within each party.
Limited Choice- only the governing & the opposition parties to appear to have viable
chances of gaining majorities in general elections. It discriminates against minorities/ethnic
minorities. –minimum representation. Electoral Swing-over amplification of opinion change.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

Proportional Representation:. In this system, parliamentary seats are given to the

parties in proportion to the number of votes obtained by them. There are two varieties of
proportional representation i.e. the Single Transferable Vote System, which is also called the
Preferential System, and the Party List System.
Single Transferable Vote System- It is an alternative to the party list system. It requires
multi-member constituencies of between five to seven members. Voters list the individual
candidates in order of preference.
In counting the votes, the principle that applies is that the candidate only needs a
certain number or quota of votes to be elected & any votes he receives beyond this figure are
surplus & serve only to build up an unnecessary majority. Once the candidate has received
the quota necessary to secure his election, the surplus votes are redistributed among the
other candidates according to second preferences.
The Party List System- Each party is allowed to put up a list of candidates equal to the
number of seats to be filled. Instead of voting for individual, the elector votes for a party. The
basic principle under the system is that, the voters see a list of all candidates for a particular
party, & vote for the list as a whole.
Seats are allocated in proportion to the votes cast. For example, the total number
votes polled by each party is then divided by the quota (determined by the total number of
votes divided by the total number of seats). Suppose the quota is 10,000 and a particular party
lists gets 60,000 votes. The first six names in the party’s list are declared elected.
However, it must be noted that the party usually presents the list to the voter in order
of preference. Practically, this means that individual candidate on the bottom of the list rarely,
if ever, get elected.
Single Transferable Vote System has some advantages. The system prevents wasted
votes. This is because so many votes are taken into account. More voice for citizens. This is
because they would not have just a single member in Parliament to represent them, but a
choice of 5-7 members. It protects minorities. This is because voters may split their votes
across party lines & can exercise choice amongst candidates from the same party.
As of its disadvantages, multi member constituencies are not suitable for Malaysia i.e.,
some constituencies in Britain are very small which would mean that the STV system would
not be appropriate.
It would create unnecessary inter party rivalries & would also strain party resources.
The system is extremely complex, time consuming & demands meticulous mathematical
calculations.
 The Party List System has a few advantages. Simplicity of the system-it is easy to
understand, & works in an uncomplicated manners. It requires none of the complicated &
time-consuming calculations.
It is extremely fair & equitable from the whole distribution of seats. There is the
possibility of ensuring in a precise manner that the distribution of seats would be exactly in
proportion to the votes won by each party. It is easy for third parties to have a chance to win
some seats. This is because the voters cast their votes based on party line rather than
individual basis.
However there are also disadvantages, Too crude: how can Malaysia consist of just
one constituency? This is because the system in its pure form implies that there is one
constituency comprising the whole country.
It destroys the valuable local link between the MP & his constituents. This is because
the system advocates for one constituency comprising the whole country. It leads to the
growth of a large number of political parties. When each interest can secure separate
representation, it is natural for every dissenting group to jump into the political arena with
the hope of securing some representation.
No single party secures an absolute majority in the legislature. Law-making becomes
difficult. Coalition governments and political instability often result. It places too much power
in the hands of those at the top of the party hierarchy. This is because it would be a rare
occasion to see new faces in the party being seconded for election.
The Alternative Vote System- Under the alternative vote system, the electors place
the candidate in order of preference on the ballot paper, i.e. one, two, three etc. If no
candidate polls an absolute majority, i.e., over 50% of the first preferences, then the
candidate who polled the least first preferences is eliminated & his second preferences are
distributed.
This process of elimination of the bottom candidate & redistribution of preferences is
repeated until one candidate ends up with an absolute majority & is elected
Advantages are like candidates cannot be elected on a minority of the votes (no
wasted votes). The system is viewed as democratic enough because the result represents the
wishes of the majority voters.
There are also disadvantages. Does not ensure true proportionality. Why? Because of
the elimination process of a candidate who is always at the bottom. In other words, it does
not secure representation which is proportional to the first preference of the electorates.
Does not necessarily help minority parties to gain a fair share of seats. This is because their
votes are scattered all over the constituencies
 Elections are a very crucial features of Malaysian constitutional law; reflecting the
practice of Parliamentary democracy in the country. Elections are governed by Part VIII of the
Constitution, and numerous statutes (i.e. Elections Act 1958), and are under the control of an
independent Election Commission, set up under Art 114, which holds both Federal and State
elections, and, until they were suspended in 1965 and then abolished in 1976, local-
government elections.
All in all, in a democratic state, the electoral process exercises determining power over
those who holds political office. It is the electorate which confers the power to govern and
calls government to account. Hence, the core idea behind representative government is that
it enables all sections of society to have a say in the formation of the government. Hence, it
is important to note from the very beginning that Malaysia’s electoral laws are fashioned on
the simple plurality, first-past-the-post system that is currently practiced in the UK and India.
Democratic states take many forms, but all have a system of representative govt
whereby the citizens can elect & also dismiss their political leaders. In discussing reforms of
the electoral system, there are no correct & wrong answers. There are arguments both for &
against maintaining the status quo. The crux of the argument for reform of the system is
based on the arguments of democracy & equality in voting power. But again there are
inherent dangers of Proportional Representation Systems e.g. Political paralysis due to too
many parties; increased chances of a coalition govt, & whether this may result in a
stalemated/hung Parliament; whether this in turn could result in an erosion of the convention
of collective ministerial responsibility.