KOTA KINABALU, Jan 11 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today offered his assurance today that the reforms proposed to improve Malaysia’s parliamentary system will be pushed through.
He added that as chairman of the Cabinet committee on the transformation of the Malaysian Parliament, he was fully behind the effort, which he said would build a more effective democratic system.
“As the chairman of the reform committee, I am fully committed to ensuring that we find ways for the House to conduct its business more efficiently and effectively.
“The executive fully supports this effort and will continue to build a harmonious relationship through new mechanisms to uphold the stateliness of Parliament,” he said, referring to the recent reforms proposed for Parliament.
“We need to find new approaches, to rise above the political divide and place the needs and the aspirations of the people first. Traditions are proving to be inadequate to the challenges we face today,” he added in his speech during the 23rd conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth here today.
Earlier, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia in his speech said that the Cabinet committee had accepted three out of the four recommendations for reform, while one was put in abeyance last January 7.
“This is but a reflection of the commitment of both the Prime Minister and his deputy and echoes precisely their sense of responsibility towards enhancing and transforming the Malaysian Parliament. They do not merely believe in the rhetoric but deliver to their fullest ability,” he said.
He said that the recommendations that were accepted include a special second chamber, which will run concurrently with parliamentary sittings and which can hear out issues from elected representatives without any requirement for tabling with a quorum of three; the introduction of an hour of “Ministerial Question Time” once a week where MPs can question ministers regarding current issues; and a change of notice for questions submission.
The five-day conference in the state capital sees 49 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 39 Commonwealth countries meet and share best practices through dialogues and workshops.
