MPs skipping parliament has long been a problem in Malaysia. It’s not uncommon to turn on the TV to watch a parliamentary sitting and notice droves of empty seats. The most mind-boggling aspect is that an MP, which literally stands for Member of Parliament, can be absent from parliament for a period of six months before Parliament may – not must, but may – declare their seat vacant. 

In response to this, political activist and pro-democracy advocate Roshinee Mookaiah recently launched a ‘Dilarang Ponteng Parliament’ campaign. She’s collecting at least 500 petition signatures, which would make the petition eligible for an MP to sponsor and table it in Parliament. We speak to Roshinee about her campaign and more.

MPs skipping parliament has long been a problem in Malaysia. It’s not uncommon to turn on the TV to watch a parliamentary sitting and notice droves of empty seats. The most mind-boggling aspect is that an MP, which literally stands for Member of Parliament, can be absent from parliament for a period of six months before Parliament may – not must, but may – declare their seat vacant.&nbsp;In response to this, political activist and pro-democracy advocate <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roshineemookaiah/">Roshinee Mookaiah</a> recently launched a ‘Dilarang Ponteng Parliament’ campaign. She’s collecting at least 500 petition signatures, which would make the petition eligible for an MP to sponsor and table it in Parliament. We speak to Roshinee about her campaign and more.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. 
On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

Beyond the Ballot Box

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.