VOTERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (MPs) OF BUKIT KATIL AND KOTA MELAKA
BY
NUR AMALINA BINTI MUHAMMAD NOR
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science)
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences International Islamic University Malaysia
FEBRUARY 2012
ABSTRACT
This study analyzes the perceptions of Malay and Chinese voters on the performance of their Members of Parliament (MPs) and their level of satisfaction with MPs in Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka parliamentary constituencies in Melaka. The data were collected through questionnaires from a stratified sample of 320 respondents of the two constituencies. In addition, references are made to books, journals, reports, and electronic sources. The data thus collected were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Program (SPSS). The study uses the framework developed by the National Democratic Institute. The study found that the residents of the two constituencies are not totally satisfied with their MPs even though they agreed on certain items. The six hypotheses which guided this thesis are confirmed. The study also found that age, education, income, occupation, and party affiliation of the respondents influence the evaluation of their MPs.
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خالصة البحث
حتاولىذه الدراسة حتليل تصورات ادلصوتني ادلاليويني والصينيني حنو أداء ممثليهم يف الربدلان، وتتييم مسوو رراىم اه أأعاء بدلااني دسسوريني يف الالا وحتديدا ًا يف واليت الاتيل والوتا الالا. ومجعت علو ات الدارسة ن اسسبااة اسسهدف 320 أينة ن الال الربدلااني، إرافة إىل عض ادلصادر ثل الكسب، واجملالت احملكمة، والستاريب، وغريىا ن ادلصادر اإللكرتواية. وتتوم ىذه الدراسة اإلحصائية سحليل النسائج أن طبيق باا ج حز ة اإلحصاءات للعلوم االجسماأية . وطور إطار البحث ادلطبق لو ذه الدراسة ن عهد الدميتباطية الوطنية. وأوجدت الدراسة أن ىناك خصائص ألأعاء الربدلان تبولة ن قبل ادلصوتني ادلاليويني والصينيني، ع وجود فبوق يف اخلصائص األخبو . و ن ادلثري االىسمام، أوجدت ىذه الدراسة أن ادلصوتني ادلاليويني والصينيني مل يستبلو أو يوافتو ا شكل البري أداءات أأعاء الربدلان احلاليني . الما أوجدت الدراسة أن العمب، والسعليم، والدخل ادلايل، وادلهنة، والطموحات احلز ية لدو العينة أثبت ألى تتييمهم ألأعاء الربدلان.
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APPROVAL PAGE
I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).
……………………………….. Muhamad Fuzi Omar Supervisor
I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).
………………………………. Abdul Rashid Moten Examiner
This dissertation is submitted to the Department of Political Science and is accepted as fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).
……………………………….. Tunku Mohar Tunku Mokhtar Head, Department of Political Science
This dissertation is submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).
……………………………….. Badri Najib Zubir Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any other degree at IIUM or other institutions.
Nur Amalina Binti Muhammad Nor
Signature……………………… Date……………………..
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COPYRIGHT PAGE
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH
Copyright © 2012 by International Islamic University Malaysia. All rights reserved.
VOTERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (MPs) OF BUKIT KATIL AND KOTA MELAKA
No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below.
1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may only be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement.
2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.
3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieval system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries.
Affirmed by Nur Amalina Binti Muhammad Nor.
……………………………. ……………….. Signature Date
I hereby affirmed that The Internationalvi Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) hold all rights in the copyright of this Work and henceforth any production or use in any form or by means whatsoever is prohibited without the written consent of IIUM. No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a
DEDICATION
I dedicate this research to my lovely family and fiancée.
For the love, earnest prayer, and endless support.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah (S.W.T) for giving me the strength and health to do this research. This research would not have been possible without the guidance and help of several individuals who directly or indirectly contributed to the completion of this research. It is with immense gratitude that I acknowledge the support and help of my supervisor, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhamad Fuzi Omar who was very helpful and offered precious assistance, support and guidance. It also gives me great pleasure in acknowledging the support and help of Asst. Prof. Dr. Tunku Mohar, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid Moten, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq Hossain, Prof. Dr. El-Fatih A. Abdel Salam, and the entire staff of Department of Political Science and International Islamic University library. My personal and special appreciation to my family members who never fail to be with me at anytime and any situation with love, support and tolerance. My appreciation also goes to all my friends especially Maisarah Saniah and Noridah for their support and encouragement throughout this period. I must not forget my fiancée for the love, support, and constant patience and teaching me about sacrifice and discipline. Last but not least, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of this research. Thank you all.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………. ii Abstract in Arabic…………………………………………………………………. iii Approval Page ……………………………………………………………………... iv Declaration Page…………………………………………………………………… v Copyright Page…………………………………………………………………….. vi Dedication…………………………………………………………………………. vii Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………. viii List of Tables………………………………………………………………………. xi List of Abbreviations………………………………………………………………. xiii
CHAPTER 1: FRAMEWORK OF STUDY……………………………………. 1 Background and History…………………………………………………… 1 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………... 3 Objectives of the Study…………………………………………………….. 4 Justification of the Study…………………………………………………... 4 Literature Review…………………………………………………………...5 Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………….. 13 Methods of Data Collection………………………………………………... 17 Chapter Outline…………………………………………………………….. 19
CHAPTER 2: BUKIT KATIL AND KOTA MELAKA CONSTITUENCIES: AN OVERVIEW………………………………………… 22 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 22 Basic Information …..………………………………………………………22 Geographic Features of Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka……………...27 Political Characteristics……………………………………………. 28 Economy…………………………………………………………… 30 Demography………………………………………………………... 30 Registered Voters and Polling Districts…………………………………… 31 1999, 2004 and 2008 Elections in Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka………….. 36 Conclusion…………….…………………………………………………….38
CHAPTER 3: ETHNICITY AND PERCEPTIONS OF RESPONDENTS TOWARDS THEIR MPs………………………………………………………… 39 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 39 Sample characteristics ………………………………………………………39 Respondents’ perceptions………………………………………………….. 44 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..50
CHAPTER 4: PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE MPs BASED ON AGE, EDUCATION, INCOME, OCCUPATION, AND PARTY AFFILIATION……………………………………………………………………. 52 Age and Perceptions towards the MPs……………………………………...52 Education and Perceptions towards the MPs………………………………. 53
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Income and Perceptions towards the MPs…………………………………. 55 Occupation and Perceptions towards the MPs……………………………... 56 Party Affiliation and Perceptions towards the MPs………………………... 57 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..59
CHAPTER 5: THE LEVEL OF RESPONDENTS’ SATISFACTION WITH THEIR MPs………………………………………….. 60 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 60 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..68
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION...... 69 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 69 Summary of Findings………………………………………………………. 69 Limitations of the Study and Recommendations…………………………... 72 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..74
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………… 75
APPENDIX I: Questionnaire…………………………………………………….. 78
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LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Page No.
1.1 Parliamentary and State seats in Melaka 2
2.1 Melaka Population Estimates by Ethnic Group in 2008 23
2.2 Elected Members of Parliament in Melaka after the 12th General Elections, 2008 24
2.3 Number of Votes Obtained by Candidates for Parliament Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka in 2008 25
2.4 Elected State Assembly Members in Melaka after the 12th General Elections, 2008 26
2.5 Melaka Tengah District 27
2.6 EXCO members in Melaka after the 12th General Elections, 2008 29
2.7 Population Estimates by Ethnic Group in the District of Melaka Tengah 2008 31
2.8 Registered Voters in Bukit Katil Constituency (75 777 voters) 33
2.9 Registered Voters in Kota Melaka Constituency (84 05 voters) 35
2.10 Parliamentary Seats Won by Parties from 2004-2008 in Bukit Katil 36
2.11 Parliamentary Seats Won by Parties from 2004-2008 in Kota Melaka 37
2.12 Summary of differences between Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka parliamentary Constituencies 37
3.1 Distribution of respondents 41
3.2 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must understand the parliamentary rules and moral values 44
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3.3 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must have a good relationship with the media 45
3.4 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must be punctual and have good time management 46
3.5 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must have the ability to communicate and also have the clear manifestoes 47
3.6 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must have the ability to solve problems 48
3.7 Respondents who agreed with the statement that their MPs must maintain the relationship with the electoral constituency and those who oppose them 49
4.1 Perceptions towards the MPs based on age 53
4.2 Perceptions towards the MPs based on education 54
4.3 Perceptions towards the MPs based on income 55
4.4 Perceptions towards the MPs based on occupation 56
4.5 Perceptions towards the MPs based on party affiliation 58
5.1 Distribution of the respondents based on ethnicity 61
5.2 Distribution of the respondents based on age 62
5.3 Distribution of the respondents based on education 63
5.4 Distribution of the respondents based on income 65
5.5 Distribution of the respondents based on occupation 66
5.6 Distribution of the respondents based on party affiliation 67
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BN Barisan Nasional DAP Democratic Action Party EXCO Executive Committee MP Member of Parliament MPs Members of Parliament NDI National Democratic Institute PAS Parti Islam Se-Malaysia PKR Parti Keadilan Rakyat RM Ringgit Malaysia SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences
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CHAPTER ONE
FRAMEWORK OF STUDY
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Melaka is situated on the south-western coast of peninsular Malaysia facing the Straits of Melaka and sandwiched between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. It covers an area of 1,658 square kilometres and is divided into 3 districts, namely Melaka
Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin. Moreover, it has 81 sub-districts, 287 villages, and a total population of 738,800. Melaka also has six parliamentary seats which are Bukit
Katil, Kota Melaka, Tangga Batu, Masjid Tanah, Alor Gajah, and Jasin.1
Table 1.1 shows the division of the six parliamentary seats in Melaka and also the state assembly seats in each parliamentary constituency. Bukit Katil has four state assembly seats, while Kota Melaka has five state assembly seats. In 2008, Barisan
Nasional (BN) won five parliamentary seats but lost the Kota Melaka seat to the
Democratic Action Party (DAP). In the 2004 General Elections, the BN did make a clean sweep of the state including the Kota Melaka seat which was won by the DAP since 1969. The Kota Melaka seat appears to be a safe seat for the DAP, but the Bukit
Katil seat showed a tough fight between BN and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in
2008.
1 Laman Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Melaka, “Mengenai Melaka 2009”,
1
Table 1.1 Parliamentary and State seats in Melaka
Parliamentary Seats State Seats Bukit Katil Bachang, Ayer Keroh, Bukit Baru, Ayer Molek. Kota Melaka Kesidang, Kota Laksamana, Duyong, Bandar Hilir, Telok Mas. Tangga Batu Sungai Udang, Pantai Kundor, Paya Rumput, Klebang. Masjid Tanah Kuala Linggi, Tanjung Bidara, Ayer Limau, Lendu, Taboh Naning. Alor Gajah Rembia, Gadek, Machap, Durian Tunggal, Asahan. Jasin Bemban, RIM, Serkam, Merlimau, Sungai Rambai.
Source: Report on the 12th General Elections by Election Commission Malaysia.
Based on the 2008 General Elections, Bukit Katil‟s parliamentary constituency had a total of 75,777 electorates. The percentage turnout for this parliamentary constituency was 81.9% and there were two candidates from PKR and BN who contested in this constituency. They were Khalid Jaafar (PKR) who polled 29,217 votes and Md Sirat Abu (BN) who polled 30,975 votes.2 The composition of voters for the Bukit Katil seat were 53.16% Malay, 40.99% Chinese, 5.52% Indian, and 0.33% others.3 On the other hand, the Kota Melaka seat had a total of 84,805 electorates. The percentage turnout was 79.6% and the contest was between Wong Nai Chee (BN) and
Sim Tong Him (DAP). The BN candidate polled 27,250 votes while the DAP candidate polled 38,640 votes.4 Kota Melaka had 33.49% Malay, 61.77% Chinese,
3.49% Indian, and 1.26% others for the composition of voters.5
2 Election Commission of Malaysia, Report of the 12th General Elections (Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Nasional Berhad, 2009), 180. 3 Berita Harian Online, “Pilihanraya 2008”,
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The purpose of this research is to analyse the perceptions of Malay and Chinese voters on how they evaluate the performance of their Members of Parliaments (MPs) who were elected after the 12th Malaysian General Elections by focussing on two parliamentary seats in Melaka: the Bukit Katil seat and the Kota Melaka seat. There are many yardsticks used by the electorates to evaluate their representatives. In some countries, the evaluations are mostly based on how the representatives perform their duties in the House. The performance can be seen from many angles, like how they debate a specific issue in the House, propagate a policy or manifesto and how much research they have done to improve their role to become effective representatives. For that reason, the evaluation is more objective and specific.
The aim of this research is to underline the perspectives of the electorates‟ ways of evaluating their representatives in respective terms. Since previous studies usually concentrate on the performance of the representatives in the House, this research will get the perspective of the people who voted for their representatives in the election. This research aims at examining the different perceptions of the electorates of Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka on the performance of their representatives
Specifically, this research is expected to answer the following questions:
1. What are the differences between the perceptions of the Malay and the
Chinese towards the performance of their MPs?
2. Are the voters satisfied with the performance of their MPs?
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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Therefore, this research is conducted based on the objectives below:
1. To see the differences in perceptions between the Malay and the Chinese
towards the performance of their MPs. Interestingly, the two constituencies
selected for this study represent the two ethnic groups.
2. To determine whether the voters are satisfied with the performance of their
MPs.
JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
This research focuses on the Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka MPs. MPs are elected by the people and they will evaluate the performance of the MPs for the next election.
The MPs with good performance usually survive in the next election but the MPs with bad performance will probably not be re-elected. In Malaysia, studies on MP‟s performance is rarely conducted and documented by researchers. Therefore, this research attempts to show that the MPs in Melaka have their own significant role for the development of Malaysia, even though Melaka is the third smallest state in
Malaysia, after Perlis and Penang. The winner or the loser of the parties that take part in the parliamentary elections will show how strong the government is.
Besides, this research investigates how the Malay and the Chinese differently perceive their MPs since Bukit Katil is a Malay majority constituency while Kota
Melaka is a Chinese majority constituency. In other words, this research tries to explain the different perceptions among voters who come from different ethnic backgrounds. With that, we will see the differences of political behaviours between the Malay and the Chinese.
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As a historical city, it is good to do research on the performance of the MPs in both seats in Melaka because it can provide information and knowledge for the citizens of Malaysia. This research hopes that it carries an in-depth analysis on the
MPs in both Bukit Katil and Kota Melaka. Being a voter in Melaka, it is convenient for the author to have easy access to the voters and collect the required information to carry out this research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The performance of the MPs has gained very significant attention among the people of
Malaysia. This is because, the MPs are responsible for representing the people, and they are the person that the people put their trust in to fulfil people‟s needs. However, it is difficult to find a number of scholarly studies being done on how the electorates evaluate the performance of their MPs in Malaysia. This literature review will try to explain some of the studies done by scholars throughout the world in order to know the performance of the MPs.
Vicky Bourne, a former Australian Senator, lists ten rules of being a good MP.
Firstly, the MP must be humble and realize that the power is only the product of collective action. Secondly, the MP has to be nice to others and must keep people by his side. Thirdly, the MP has to think strategically by creating a situation whereby everyone gains something. Fourthly, the MP has to specialize and be an expert in parliament or anything that he deals with. Then, the MP must have clear and achievable goals by knowing what he wants to achieve. Next, the MP must understand the issues that he discusses and have the most up-to-date information. The MP must also listen to others because the experience of the others will probably be different from him. He must learn to say “no” kindly and with respect. In addition, the MP must
5 understand his situation and the more he understands the rules of a procedure and the traditions of the parliament, the more he will be able to use them to achieve his goals.
The last rule is, the MP must earn respect and show that he can be trusted.6
V. K. Agnihotri who is the Secretary-General Council of India conducts research on the evaluation of parliament objectives, methods, results and impacts. He states that there is no universal standard that can be applied to evaluate or assess the parliamentary performance because each country or parliament has its own unique historical, social and political past. He also claims that both the qualitative and the quantitative methods are required in order to conduct research. He concludes that there are three areas that can be evaluated which are in the field of making legislations; in the field of securing executive accountability; and in the field of articulating public concerns.7
The World Bank organization clarifies that before developing the measures for parliamentary performance, the performance framework that specifies the three elements, which are the determinants of parliamentary performance, the criteria of performance and the structure of performance, has to be planned first. The determinants of the parliamentary performance have three elements. First, is the surrounding of the governance contexts that have several variables related between the state, the market and the civil society; the extent of political space and support for active citizenship, and the impact of the global village. Second, the performance is greatly influenced by the parliamentary culture, the set of motivating and constraining beliefs and practices. Thirdly, the parliamentary performance is dependent on the
6 Vicky Bourne, “10 Rules for Being a Good Politician and Member of Parliament”,
6 organizational capacity of parliament, consisting of the strengths and weaknesses of the political and administrative sides of the parliament.8
Meanwhile, in the criteria of performance, the parliamentary performance is judged against the finance, compliance, efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability. The last element developed by the World Bank organization is the structure of the parliamentary performance in which it includes inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. Inputs are the raw materials of parliament including
MPs, staff, finance and other resources; while activities will describe how MPs and staff spend their time in the parliamentary chamber, committees, party caucuses and constituencies. The outputs are the products of parliamentary activities, notable debates, laws, resolutions and reports, and assistance to constituents; the outcomes refer to the direct effects of parliamentary activities on the outside world. Lastly, the impacts are the longer term and more indirect influence of parliament on the set of good governance, specifically democracy, rule of law, clean and effective government and peaceful resolution of conflict. 9
The World Bank also clarifies the indicators for parliamentary performance which are governance context, parliamentary culture, parliamentary organization, and parliamentary performance. The governance contexts measure the main aspects of the relationship between parliament and the external governance environment, highlighting in particular the structure of state power, key non-governmental actors and global influences while the parliamentary culture measures the important aspects of parliamentary motivation and values, highlighting the role of political parties, relationship of MPs to constituents and the relationship between government and
8 World Bank, “Parliaments That Work: A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Parliamentary Performance”,
7 opposition in parliament. However, the parliamentary organization measures key aspects of parliamentary organization, referring in particular to political leadership and administration, the role of the professional secretariat and the finance and other resources available to parliament. The last indicator which is the parliamentary performance will measure the parliamentary performance, referring to four areas of parliamentary business namely legislation, the budget, oversight and representation.10
Elizabeth McLeay conducts a research on the evaluation of the scrutiny capacity of the parliamentary committees in the New Zealand Parliament. She uses the extensive range of evaluative indicators developed in the international political science literature on legislative and committee powers. The indicators include basic design and permanence; powers and resources; membership and attendance; transparency of the process; and access to the information beyond the written record.
All these indicators are clearly important in assessing how well committees can perform their oversight and scrutiny tasks.11
Jalal Firoj conducts a research on the opinion of women members of the fifth and seventh parliaments of Bangladesh in order to know the experiences of the women MPs. The research uses questionnaires which covers the role of women MPs in the House, impact of reservation system, continuation of reservation system, number of the reserved seats and electoral processes, most interesting discussions in the Parliament, performance of women MPs in the process of law making, role of women MPs in the Committees, women chairpersonships in the parliamentary committees, cooperation received from male MPs and local administrations, prospects
10 World Bank. 11 Elizabeth McLeay, “Scrutiny and Capacity: An Evaluation of The Parliamentary Committees in The New Zealand Parliament”, Australasian Parliamentary Review, vol. 21, no.1 (2006): 158–82,
8 of parliamentary democracy, evaluation of their self-performance and many more. The researcher finds that some characteristics of successful women MPs are being very attentive and serious in attending the sittings of the House and the committee meetings; being more transparent and honest; having utmost endeavours to initiate and implement development projects in their respective constituencies; being less affected by party-biasness in distributing fruits of development activities; common and poor women have relatively more and free access to female members of the parliament; some of the women members are desperate to initiate gender perspective in the projects they introduced and; women leaders and MPs are not interested to link politics with black money and muscle.12
Nomita Halder, who is from the University of Canterbury, points out several factors that affect women‟s parliamentary representation in Bangladesh which are the supply or structural factor and the demand or political factor. The supply or the structural factor can be divided into four sub-categories which are the culture or religion, socio-economic condition, education, and employment while the demand or the political factor also has four sub-categories which are nature of the regime, political culture, electoral systems, and quotas or the reserved seats. She also describes in her research the categories for the occupational background of the women MPs in
Bangladesh parliament which the housewives: 45.9%, teachers: 32.4%, business women: 10.8%, other professional occupation: 8.1%, and professional politicians:
2.7%.13
12 Jalal Firoj, “Women in the Fifth and Seventh Parliament of Bangladesh: A Study on Opinion of Women Members of Parliament (MPs)”,
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On the other hand, a research on how MPs cope with the stresses and strains of their lives and whether some people are better suited to political life than others is presented by Ashley Weinberg from the University of Salford. The research used data from over 30 MPs which was collected between summer 2009 and spring 2010. He looks at personality factors like having an optimistic or pessimistic view of life; levels of conscientiousness and openness to experiences; psychological strain including physical and emotional symptoms of stress such as sleep problems, headaches, and being in low spirits; and how they cope with pressures at home and at work. The result of this research is that the MPs are stressful with their job and they have been showing increased psychological strain since 2005 General Elections. Those who tended towards a more pessimistic view of life are less positive about the job. Weinberg states that by having a positive outlook on life, it can help people to cope with the problem and the parliament needs to work harder to give the right information and support to staff, both before and after problems arise.14
At the same time, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) clarifies that the
Parliament is expected to fulfil three main functions and they represent citizens by bringing their needs, goals, problems, and concerns to the policy making process; making laws that govern the nation; and exercising oversight, ensuring that legislation and government policies are implemented effectively, according to the original intent, and within the parameters of the rule of law. NDI states some tips on how to become a successful MP. Firstly, as noted in Chapter VI of Sierra Leone‟s Constitution, “All
Members of Parliament shall maintain the dignity and image of Parliament both during the sittings in Parliament as well as in their acts and activities outside
14 The British Psychological Society, “What Makes a Good MP and How Does Their Position on a Ballot Paper Influence How We Vote?”
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Parliament.” Secondly, the MPs should establish regular contacts with journalists to shed more light on their activities in parliament and to keep the public informed of their positions on issues. Lastly, the MPs should monitor developments in the country that affect their constituency and they would benefit immensely by staying in touch with their constituents. 15
The National Democratic Institute also explains some of the factors that make an MP successful. Firstly, respecting the legislative authority as an institution. In order to respect the legislative authority, the MP has to develop the confidence between the people and his representatives. Moreover, the MP must attempt to resort to the best intents of his colleagues and talk about what they are intending and striving to achieve during their term. Secondly, to understand the pervasive rules. By understanding the parliamentary rules and laws, it can help to make changes in his career. Thirdly, abiding by the moral rules that allow the MP to share the responsibility of the good appearance of the Parliament. Fourthly, the capability of media means whereby the
MP has to meet with journalists occasionally to inform them of his opinions toward any issues. This is because, maintaining a good relationship with the media is very important as this will help to establish a good relationship and partnership. Besides, the media is considered as a mean of communication between the people and the representatives of the government, and the media is a vital part of any democracy.16
The next factor is controlling time. According to NDI, a successful parliamentarian must enjoy punctuality, arrive at committee meetings on time, and commit oneself to appointments. He also has to have suitable time for talks which is an important part of a parliamentarian‟s work. The MP has to be brief in giving
15 National Democratic Institute, “The Roles and Responsibilities of Members of Parliament (MPs)”,
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