KOTA KINABALU – A total of 55 MPs have demanded the government to set up 13 more Parliamentary special select committees (PSSCs) for all 220 current MPs to contribute to full time.
Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau who initiated the proposal said 88 MPs have been denied any committee responsibilities, and the 55 lawmakers make up some 62.5% of them.
He said the committees are needed to ensure that all ministries are effectively scrutinised, and each MPs may sit in at least one of them.
“The nine existing PSSCs are insufficient to scrutinise 30 ministerial portfolios,” he said. “These PSSCs are currently scrutinising 20 ministerial portfolios, lumping together many important portfolios under one committee.
“All MPs should be able to participate effectively in national lawmaking and policymaking processes. The people did not choose us to be MPs just to distribute food baskets.
“We have to be included in the process of policymaking and lawmaking that is in line with the people’s aspirations, and that serve their interests,” he said during a virtual press conference today.
Madius added that there are in fact 154 government backbenchers and opposition lawmakers who can sit on the committees – excluding the two deputy speakers and 64 ministers, minister-level envoys and deputy ministers.
He said that with only nine PSSCs, only 61 MPs get to sit on them and the public accounts committee, and five other MPs are able to sit only on one or more of the four other standing committees.
“This leaves 88 parliamentarians with no executive, house or committee responsibilities. If the number of MPs per PSSC is not increased, then Parliament needs 13 more PSSCs to allow all MPs to contribute to policymaking,” he said.
Madius said that as the parliamentary session is only conducted for about 70 days (before the pandemic), even if the sessions return to normal, 40% of MPs are still denied the opportunities to provide legislative oversight on the executive in eight out of 12 months.
He stressed that there are 88 MPs with experience in their own right on the backbench.
“Among them are two former prime ministers, one former deputy prime minister, one former Parliamentary opposition leader, four former and present chief ministers, three former deputy chief ministers, one former deputy speaker, and more,” he said.
“In total, there are 80 who can draw from their vast experiences. How many talents with years of experience and expertise of ours are put to waste when we are not allowed to function fully?” he questioned.
‘Opposition important branch of government’
Madius also said Parliament is not given enough resources to support more than nine PSSCs.
He argued that if each PSSC cost about RM300,000 per year, then 13 more PSSCs will only cost RM3.9 million.
“Is it not penny wise, pound foolish to save at most RM3.9 million a year by having inadequate PSSCs and waste RM11,264,000 in 88 MPs’ allowances for eight months by disabling their contribution to national policymaking?” he said.
By giving PSSCs the inquisitive power to search for better solutions in laws and policies, the executive will get to better exercise its regulatory and allocative powers.
He also noted that Keningau MP Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan (Sabah STAR) who is aligned with the Perikatan Nasional government also supports the proposal.
Meanwhile, one of six lawmakers who joined the press conference today, Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad, said that having additional PSSCs would be a move towards a bigger agenda – reforming politics and the parliamentary institution.
“A lot of people do not see that the opposition MPs are also an important branch of government of a democratic country,” he said.
“It is because the government overlooked this that our government could not play its role effectively.
“The people gave us the mandate for us to make a change in the country, so that we can develop and adapt along to the challenges we face during the pandemic.
“Hence, the proposal to set up additional PSSCs is timely, in line with what the government is saying – reduce politics matters and solve our problems first. PSSC is the best platform to solve the country’s problem, if the government is truly committed to help the people during this tough period,” he said.
Others present in the press conference were Selangau MP Baru Bian, Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto and Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar. –The Vibes, July 25, 2021
