The nature of political representation: Voters’ perception towards the role of political representation

Rosyidah Muhamad, Ummu Atiyah Ahmad Zakuan, Nazli Aziz, Siti Aisyah Saat, Rohana Ahmad

Abstract


There is a wide spectrum in academia that representatives of the citizens should act in line with the interests of those who are being represented. Knowledge about citizens’ preferences, however, is still limited in the field of political representation in Malaysia. This paper examines the MPs’ roles as the citizens’ representatives in Malaysia from the perspective of the citizens themselves. Based on the survey (n=598), the voters’ preferences that are being analysed through three models of representative-delegates, trustee and partisan. The research findings indicate that the constituents place a high priority on the MPs in bringing development to the constituency rather than in the law making and advocating. To this end, more expectations are for the MPs assemble to delegate model. Citizens perceive the MPs’ main role as a legislator as a minor role. This perception could reflect on the political situation in Malaysia. Accordingly, this paper suggests that the MPs should focus on their main functions in policy making, to participate in the parliamentary debates actively and to represent their constituencies at the national level. The MPs should take the local issues for national policies implementation to be contextualized in their respective local constituencies.

Keywords: Citizens perception, constituencies, member of parliament, Malaysian Politics, political representative, role of the representative


Keywords


Citizens perception; constituencies; member of parliament; Malaysian politics; political representative; role of the representative

Full Text:

PDF

References


Akirav, O. (2020). Assessing the parliamentary activities of UK MPs. Br Polit, 15, 201–225. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-019-00111-w

Abdul Rashid, M. (2009). 2004 and 2008 General Elections in Malaysia: Towards a multicultural, bi-party political system?. Asian Journal of Political Science, 17(2), 173-194.

Aziz, N. (2012). Deliberative Practices in & outside the Malaysian Parliament (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from research space Auckland University https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/2292/20731/whole.pdf;sequence=2

Bengtsson, Å., & Hanna, W. (2011). The representative roles of MPs: A citizen perspective. Scandinavian Political Studies, 34(2), 143-167.

Brouard, S. , Costa. O., Kerrouche, E., & Schnatterer, T. (2013). Why do French MPs focus more on constituency work than on parliamentary work?. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 19(2), 141-159.

Crouch, H. (1996). Government and society in Malaysia. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Fox, J., & Shotts, K. (2009. Delegates or trustee? A theory of political accountability. The Journal of Politics, 71(4), 1225-1237.

Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory: An Introduction. New York,Palgrave, Macmillan.

Hwang, I.-W. (2003). Personalized Politics: The Malaysian State Under Mahathir. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Judge, D. (1999). Representation: theory and practice in Britain. Routledge, London; New York.

Lusoli, W., & Ward, S. (2004). Digital Rank-And-File: Party activists' perceptions and use of the internet. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 6(4), 453-470.

Malike, B. (2017). The roles of elected representatives in political parties: What’s the challenges?. Asian Social Science, 13(6), 55-64.

Manin, B. (1997). The Principles of Representative Government. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Marsh, N., & Norris, P. (1997). Political representation in European Parliament. European Journal of Political Research, 32, 153-164.

Mendez-Lago, M., & Martinez, A. (2002). Political representation in Spain: An empirical analysis of the perception of citizens and MPs. Journal of Legislative Studies, 8(1),63-90.

Mohd Azizuddin, M. S. (2005). Media freedom in Malaysia. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 35(3), 341-361.

Narud, H. M., & Valen, H. (2000). Does Bakground Matter? Social Representation and Political Attitudes. In K. Heidar & P. Esaiasson (Eds.), Beyond Westminster and Congress: the Nordic experience. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press.

Pitkin, H. F. (1967). The concept of representation. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Rosyidah, M. (2015). Online opposition and elections in Malaysia. Asian Social Sciences, 11(10)

Tiffany Jones Miller. (2007). James Madison's Republic of "Mean Extent" Theory: Avoiding the Scylla and Charybdis of Republican Government. Polity, 39(4), 545-569.

Ummu Atiyah, A. Z. (2010). Women in the Malaysian parliament: Do they matter?. Intellectual Discourse, 18(2), 283-322.

Searing, D. D. (1985). The role of the good constituency member and the practice of representation in Great Britain. The Journal of Politics, 47(2), 348-381.

Wright, T. (2010). What are MPs for?. The Political Quarterly, 18(3), 298-308.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.