Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said the appointments must be carried out transparently and inclusively to avoid the perception that they are merely “political rewards” for government supporters.
He said the appointed assemblymen have the potential to broaden public representation and reduce political tensions if those selected come from diverse civil society and professional backgrounds.
“Priority can be given to professionals, academics, NGO representatives, persons with disabilities, youths, and community leaders because they can contribute expertise and represent groups that are under-represented in electoral politics.
“If the appointments are dominated by politicians, it will be difficult to avoid the perception that appointed assemblymen are merely meant to strengthen support for the government,” he told FMT.
Tawfik said state governments could consider more open mechanisms such as bipartisan special committees or public hearing sessions before the candidates’ names are brought before the state assembly.
The topic has been hotly debated after the Johor state assembly passed a bill on May 7 allowing for the appointment of five assemblymen, increasing the total number of representatives to 61.
Johor is the fourth state to allow appointed assemblymen after Sabah, Terengganu and Pahang.
Pakatan Harapan Johor has launched a petition opposing the move.
It has also proposed reviewing electoral boundaries to ensure public representation is fairer, more even, and aligned with current population developments in the state.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Mazlan Ali said that if the aim of the appointed assemblymen was to improve services for voters in constituencies with excessively large electorates or geographical areas, a more suitable approach would be to add more seats or carry out a redelineation exercise.
“Appointed assemblymen do not represent specific constituencies like representatives elected through elections.
“If the issue is about providing better services to the rakyat, then redelineation or increasing the number of seats may be more appropriate,” he said.