Elected Presidency – The number games

 

Since the changes to the Constitution is going to be a reality come what may, let’s look at the numbers and how it could work in the future. The key proposal for minority president is 30 years. So if a minority is not represented in 30 years, it would have an automatic reserved election to elect one of its kind to be the minority president.

Today we have 3 minorities, Malay, Indian and Eurasians. What happens if the new minorities also want to be counted in this minority game? Let’s say the Pinoys, Myanmese, Vietnamese and perhaps the Europeans, the latter would cleverly choose not to be Eurasians, then we would have 4 more categories of minority races. Not sure how many more would want to be counted as a different minority race. Let’s stop at these 4 plus the 3 categories we are having at the moment to make it 7.

If each minority would to serve one term of 6 years, it would mean 42 years before the majority Chinese would have its turn in an open EP election. Hey, is that not more than 30 years? If only there are 5 minority groups, it would even the slate and every race, including the Chinese would have to wait 30 years before their turn is due. Even under the current CMIO status, a majority Chinese EP will come about after 18 years when each minority has its 6 year term, at least, on condition that the Chinese will vote for a Chinese EP in an open election.

The problem here is that the minority is guaranteed a 6 year term every 30 years. The majority is not, I think. If this is the case, the majority may not even be represented every 30 years if they lost out in the open EP election.

Now got to watch how the Constitution is going to be amended and hopefully the majority would not be disadvantaged.

What do you think? Fair or not? Possible or not? Would the new minorities be fighting and pressuring the govt to have their rights to be automatic EP in reserved elections?