INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency

Abdul Hadi Bin Haji Baharom
9/24/2012

English for Academic Writing

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency A strong nation comprises strong and responsive Parliamentarians who representing the people of the state. Parliamentarians are the people who are elected to represent the people and to speak the voices of the people regarding their problems, issues and others in the parliament house. However, in the parliament, the Parliamentarians not only speak up their corner representing their peoples voices, thus, this legislative assembly also debating the endorsement of laws, amending some acts, budgeting and others as the Parliament is the heart of the nation. The responsive Parliamentarians will drive a strong nation as it will carry out their responsibilities with a sense of maturity, with a guided ethics and strong integrity, to a desire in upholding the spirit of democracy and a determination to enhance the quality and sanctity of Parliament. In this study, we can understand why a strong parliament can lead a strong nation. Are the parliamentarians clean from any sense of corruptions and misconduct, and how their ethics and integrity should be controlled? Thus, the parliament is not only just a rubber stamp; it is a place where the sovereignty of the states preserved and respected with the full commitment of the people, so, its members must and obliged to give maximum responsibilities in representing the people. In addition, a strong and responsive Parliamentarian not only measured by their services, but with their integrity, honesty and other holistic factors. A transparency trend is a key success of a Parliamentarian to keep their voters trust as the corruptions not only damaging the Parliamentarians themselves, but to the nation at large.

The purposes and objectives of this study; is to assess how the qualities and performances of Parliamentarians within Malaysia by focusing on their ethics and integrity in servicing their constituency are being made by them. Second, to examine how a Parliamentarian prevents himself from any misleading conducts, are there any specific rules
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Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency and agencies that supervise this matter? Thirdly, how the transformation process of a new Parliamentarian is made, when he is sitting in his new chair replacing the previous one? To this stage, students, common people, and Parliamentarians of some states were surveyed to determine the perceptions on the level of seriousness of the Parliamentarians services, whether they are clean or not, are their manifesto fulfilled or not and etc. Parliamentarian functions in the National Building Agenda are important as they are the legislative people who made the governments policies and running its machinery, thus a good members will keep their integrity in the highest place and prevent the causation of some misbehaviour conducts and corruptions in their services. In the world today, the serious problems in the political environment among the Parliamentarians ethics and integrity are corruptions, bribes, breach of trust and even worse than criminal activities which covered by their power. By these reasons, the good ethics and strong integrity are two essential elements to describe the achievement of Parliamentarians in their services, as ethics and integrity are derived from the personal attitude with spiritual consciousness which drive his mentality and actions. Thus it will show how the country are prosper and stable, are based on these elements among the Parliamentarians. This is the reason why the check and balance doctrine are still relevant in the practice among the Parliamentarians until today, not only to maintain the balance of power far from dictatorship, but also to protect the countrys from the Parliamentarian misleading of actions.

The paper is structured as follows. The next section provides a summary of relevant literature, followed by a description of the research methods employed. Results and analysis are then presented, with conclusions and recommendations contained in the final section.

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency The study contributes to the literature in several ways: (1) updating the literature in Malaysia in terms of the responsibility of the Parliamentarians and their qualities in servicing the nation; (2) Comparing and contrast between the opinions from different level of people, common people, students, and the Parliamentarian themselves to capture balance arguments and views regarding the research; and (3) determining the reasons why ethics and integrity of Parliamentarians are very important and become the backbone of a strong states.

Literature Review Studies have shown that the increasing of corruptions especially bribes have led to insufficient work of public administrations among the bureaucrats, which can turn the nation into chaos and instability, where the rates of inflations are too high, the weak administration of government agencies, the foreign investors afraid to invest in the country and others are the negative impacts of the ethics and integrity breached among the government members and their machineries. Siti Akmar Abu Samah, May 2008 stated that, integrity in its place will help the leader and manager conduct their obligation which can inspire the people factor in the organization. In the concept of change, leadership retains its credibility by ensuring that there are no top-down exhortations and, at the same time, having the ability to control aimless bottom-up improvisations. For change to happen, leaders at the helm have to be clear of the directions that they are spearheading the followers to take. Leaders by definition (Harvard Business Essentials, 2003) create an appealing vision of the future and then develop a logical strategy for making it a reality. This also motivates people to pursue the vision, even in the face of obstacles. Albert Schweitzer once said, Example is not the main thing influencing others. It is the only thing. Over and again, the world has seen organisations change successfully and unsuccessfully during the process of transformation. From the discussion above, the current change agents have to maintain high integrity for

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency transformation to happen effectively.The other research suggested that, in order a leader wants to make a change, he must make a full changes to get full transformation working, he must be the best example for his followers.

Methods This research use three survey instruments to collect data, as the first survey is for the Parliament members from different parties, secondly for the academician and students, and thirdly for the common people. These surveys are made in the Parliament of Malaysia, IIUM and Gombak Area plus with some rural areas to get the balance views. The surveys instruments for Parliament Members are a set of questionnaire and interviewed sessions and focusing their experiences and opinions. The surveys for commoners and students are based on questionnaire focusing on the views and perceptions regarding to the Parliamentarians on their places.

Findings From the surveys results and interviews, this paper tries to answer five major questions relating to Parliamentarians ethics and integrity in servicing their constituency: 1) Do you agree Malaysia has reached a good level of Parliamentarian's ethics and integrity in their services? If no, what are your personal views? 2) Do you agree that Malaysia shall have the special commission or rules of laws that govern and guide Malaysian Parliamentarians ethics and integrity? If yes, why you say so? * 3) How fast the Parliamentarian representing your area materialize his manifesto and promises during the election campaign after he won the seat?

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency 4) Do you concern how corruptions are being dealt within the Parliamentarians especially Executive members of Government? Are you satisfied with the current solutions? 5) Do you agree that, if the longer period of a Parliamentarian serves in the government, the big chances of corruptions will infected them?

Research Question 1: To assess how the qualities and performances of Parliamentarians within Malaysia by focusing on their ethics and integrity in servicing their constituency are being made by them.

Figure:

1. Do you agree Malaysia has reached a good level of Parliamentarian's ethics and integrity in their services? If no, what are your personal views?

2. Did you ever experienced any incidents or events which catch your respect to honor Malaysia Parliamentarians in terms voters confidence? If yes, who are they and why?

4. Do you understand how a Parliamentarian works in his office? Did the Parliamentarian in your area share his planning or vision with you and other voters of your place?

5) How fast the Parliamentarian representing your area materialize his manifesto and promises during the election campaign after he won the seat?

Discussion:

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency

Research Question 2: Second, to examine how a Parliamentarian prevents himself from any misleading conducts, are there any specific rules and agencies that supervise this matter?

Figures: 3) Do you agree that Malaysia shall have the special commission or rules of laws that govern and guide Malaysian Parliamentarians ethics and integrity? If yes, why you say so?

5) Did you get the information or ideas how much the budget did your Parliamentarian received and what are his planning? Are you involved in his strategy? If no, why?

9) If not, in your opinion, what are the best alternatives to solve the corruption matters in light of Government and Politician services? * Discussion:

Research Question 3: Thirdly, how the transformation process of a new Parliamentarian is made, when he is sitting in his new chair replacing the previous one?

Figures: 11) Transparency is the best option to choose a Parliamentarian. Do you agree with that statement?

12) If no, what are the important conditions or the best interest to chose a Parliamentarian? *

Malaysia Parliamentarians Ethics and Integrity in Servicing Their Constituency

14) What are the arising issues when you criticized them? *

16) Do you agreed a responsive Parliamentarian must not only served in terms of money, but also their social affairs?

17) In your opinion, how long a Parliamentarian must holds his seat of services?

18) Do you agree that, if the longer period of a Parliamentarian serves in the government, the big chances of corruptions will infected them? *

19) If you agreed, what are the causation that caused to this viral corruptions among the Parliamentarians?

Discussion: