KUALA LUMPUR – The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy has called on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Science and Innovation to live-stream its meetings to the public during Parliament sittings next week.
Galen Centre founder and chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said broadcasting and live-streaming parliamentary sessions will increase the public’s interest and democratic participation in the country.
“Today, discussions and debates in the parliamentary chamber can be followed live on TV, computer screens and mobile phones as they unfold, with all the sound, fire and passion of the debaters.
“That same approach to transparency, accountability and public engagement should be brought to the proceedings of the Health, Science and Innovation committee,” he said in a statement today.
He said the list of issues connected to the pandemic includes the expenditure on health, growing threat of variants, public healthcare system, vaccination programme, and the government’s response to Covid-19.
“Most of the issues will not be properly covered during the main sittings, but they can be discussed and scrutinised at length during the select committee meeting.”
As such, Azrul opined that the request for these proceedings to be live-streamed for public viewing is reasonable and urgently needed.
“If the Standing Orders need to be amended to accommodate this, it should be done so immediately.
“No ifs, buts or caveats. It is time that the Malaysian Parliament implements reforms that will bring it to the level of other global democratic institutions, which are working hard for the people they represent in a time of crisis.”
The Dewan Rakyat committee has proposed that only 80 MPs be allowed into the Parliament building for the special sittings on July 26.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said the topics to be brought up during the sittings will revolve around the Covid-19 pandemic. – The Vibes, July 19, 2021
