The open, public debate and outcry on the Perak crisis are signs of a rapidly maturing political thinking of Malaysians, especially among the young and middle-aged citizens, said an academician today.

Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the whole crisis had shown that Malaysians were no more pushovers, who just sit and watch politics unfolding around them.

"They have developed a sense of belonging to the political system in the country.

dap ceramah in usj 12 040308 umbrella "They will no longer allow themselves to be pushed around by politicians and their political game," he told Malaysiakini .

He also sounded a word of caution to current political players that they could no longer play the same old style of politics in which political decisions were forced on the masses without prior public consultation.

"The open, public debate reveals that Malaysians have matured in their political thinking. They no longer want to be merely at the receiving end of a political decision," he said.

sivamurugan pandian saiful bukhari sodomy allegations penang 020708 01 Also a political analyst, Sivamurugan added that Malaysians now want to be part of the decision-making process.

He said the fast developing political thinking of younger Malaysians would be the future rule of the day.

He said many electorates below the age of 45, compared with the older ones, are now demanding political integrity, dignity, virtues and charisma.

"Mere promises of development and political stability are no longer political selling points to garner votes.

"Voters demand political credibility, respect to rule of law, natural justice and good governance. Even the constitutional monarch is not spared from open, public scrutiny," he added.

Palace must be bold

Sivamurugan attributed the high literacy rate, rapid growth of e-media, emergence of vibrant and investigative bloggers and journalists, and a new breed of young politicians as main reasons behind the matured political development in the country.

Although the crisis has depicted a bleak picture on political power game in the country, he said the quandary had also enriched the political knowledge of many naive Malaysians.

For instance, he said the crisis had endowed an in-depth knowledge among many Malaysians on their democratic rights, the doctrine of separation of powers, the status of a house speaker and the constitution procedures to legitimise appointment of the head of a government.

pas kl event 030308 50 years of bn rule Sivamurugan foresees Barisan Nasional losing more political grounds while Pakatan Rakyat gaining more in the long run if the current crisis in Perak, also known as the silver state, dragged on.

He suggested that the Perak palace should take the bold step forward to dissolve the assembly to pave way for a fresh state election to end the current deadlock.

"Instead of keep talking on what had happened, we should look forward to explore all ways and means to end the crisis.

"Otherwise it will be more damaging for BN. The best way is to hold fresh polls and let the people decide," he said.

Resolved by court first

Commenting on the Perak crisis, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang wanted the Perak palace to take into consideration the current legal wrangle between disputing parties when deciding on the dissolution of the assembly.

"It's only right that the matter should be first resolved at the judiciary level to avoid any future complications.

"The Sultan of Perak should consider this seriously in his decision-making to end the Perak crisis," he said in a statement.

Parti Rakyat Malaysia vice-president V Gary Nair, however, believed that fresh elections would be the best way to resolve the crisis not the courts.

"A government should be elected by the masses, not to be undemocratically appointed by judges," he told Malaysiakini.