His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor was absolutely right when he said, “Democracy means that it is the people who determine their destiny”.  (The Sun, 11^th March)  This is particularly so in a Parlimentary Democracy with Constitutional Monarchy wherein the head of government is appointed by the constitutional monarch to reflect the wishes of the people.  It is always the people who determine the government of their choice.

Hence the Church values the democratic system “inasmuch as it ensures the participants of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate (Pope John Paul II in “On the 100^th Anniversary of Revum Navarum”, No 46)

That resonates well the Latin dictum “Qui praesidet super omnes, ab ominbus eligatir” (who presides over all must be chosen by all) which two of the most important early popes, Leo the Great and Gregory the Great, prescribed for the election of bishops for all dioceses, Rome included.  True democracy places responsibility and accountability on the side of those who can vote, and those who are voted for.

Therefore, for democracy to be successful in Malaysia or elsewhere, the active participation of the electorate is indispensable, a participation that is free : free of coersion and from undue influence of a biased media; of money politics in cash and/or in kind in the form of “instant noodles” of goodies and development. 

Vatican II states clearly that “the choice of the political regime and the appointment of rulers are left to the free decision of the citizens” (Gaudium et Spes, No 74). 

Citizens should be well educated to resist every temptation to sell their votes for money or other inducements and politicians must be prevented to buy their votes or purchase the votes of delegates in Party elections for personal advancement in the Party hierarchy.

However, democracy in itself is not only about voting, it is also about changing conditions – social and structural changes for the better good of the people.  This is difficult because many of those in power have vested interest to remain in power and many of them belong to the privileged and elite of the system and they do not want change.

But the Church, the People of God must actively participate in all the social initiatives and work for social transformation and improvement.  The laity should be the leaven towards honest and transparent politics and phase out corrupt and greedy politician in a democracy. 

Since politics is as clean or as dirty as the players themselves are, Vatican II encourages and calls for good men and women to enter the field of politics which it describes as a “difficult yet noble art of politics...forgetting their own convenience and material interest...They must combat injustice and oppression, arbitrary domination and intolerance by individuals or political parties, and they must do so with integrity and freedom.”  (Gaudium et Spes, No 75)

The Church has a pivotal prophetic role in the Malaysian democracy.