BY: NORHAYATI UMOR
SHAH ALAM, MAY 15: The Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin is urged to improve the Malaysian Parliamentary system immediately.
Pakatan Harapan Chief Secretary, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said, that include being in session for at leats 80 days per year besides creating a Parliamentary policies committee system to examine the bills and policies.
He said, Malaysian Parliament do not have a policy committee system to review and debate bill proposals from the Executive Councils before being debated in the main Dewan by all members.
“This year, Dewan Rakyat is scheduled to be in session for only 57 days. Whereas Parliaments in Australia and United Kingdom, also being Commonwealth countries, presides for at least 150 days a year.
“This system is unreasonable. Members of Parliament are not given sufficient time to conduct in-depth study and discuss with relevant parties and stakeholders,” he said in a statement.
Saifuddin claims that the system seems to make a mockery of the laws passed in the country.
“For Parliament to function effectively, a committee system is important. The Sultan of Selangor praised Selangor Assembly Speaker, Hannah Yeoh, on her effort to ensure that the Head of Opposition holds the position of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman.
“This is in line with the practice in other Commonwealth countries, and it is aimed to ensure justice and balance. As such, PAC in Parliament should be chaired by a member of the opposition,” he said.
Pakatan urges Pandikar to improve Parliamentary system
