MARCH 26 — In ”Let’s all be bears”, I wrote of the great scholar, observer, popular teacher and good friend of Malaysia, the late Professor RH Hickling who once called a Bill (a proposed law) that was referred to a parliamentary select committee (PSC) as one that was singled out for a “distinguished treatment”.
The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2024, which was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail after weeks of debate and criticism, deserves the distinguished treatment.
“Good scrutiny makes for good government,” wrote Robin Cook, when he was Leader of the House of Commons. [Cook, R., Modernisation of the House of Commons, December 2001, available here.]
Good scrutiny, therefore, should make for good law.
Malaysians expect the Madani government to be a good government and the Bill, when passed, to be good law.
So, let’s give the Bill the distinguished treatment it deserves by referring it to the PSC.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
