PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on government Members of Parliament to uphold their responsibility to debate effectively and substantively in the Dewan Rakyat as the first parliamentary meeting of the year begins today.
The reminder was delivered during a closed-door briefing with government MPs at the Seri Perdana Complex in Putrajaya on Sunday, according to government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
“The Prime Minister reminded us to stay focused on our duties,” Fahmi said. “In general, he stressed that as Members of Parliament, our responsibility is not just to attend sittings, but to debate properly in the House.”
Fahmi said the two-hour briefing also served as a platform for government members of both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara to strengthen cooperation and ties ahead of the parliamentary session.
He confirmed that four Bills have been identified as government priorities for tabling during the sitting.
These include proposed legislation to limit the Prime Minister’s term of office to a maximum of 10 years or two full terms, a Bill to separate the roles of the Public Prosecutor and the Attorney General, the long-anticipated Ombudsman Bill, and legislation related to the Freedom of Information Act.
Earlier, Anwar was seen leaving the Seri Perdana Complex after chairing the briefing, where he took time to greet members of the media gathered for updates.
The first meeting of the fifth session of the 15th Parliament opens today with an address by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, at the official opening ceremony.
According to the parliamentary calendar published on Parliament’s website, the 20-day Dewan Rakyat sitting will begin with the motion of thanks on the Royal Address, followed by seven days of debate starting tomorrow.
The session will then move to ministers’ question time in the third week, from Feb 4 to 10, before proceeding with the tabling of Bills and other government business from Feb 11 until March 3. - January 19, 2026
