KUALA LUMPUR – Parliament should be free from the grip of any quarters, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim, adding that it is high time the institution decides its own financial rules and expenditure.
“This is also (within the) full jurisdiction of Parliament,” he said at the swearing-in ceremony of six senators today.
He said Parliament should no longer be viewed as a tool used by certain parties to legitimise their actions.
As such, he said, both the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat have agreed to improve Parliament’s administrative structure and legal framework, so that the concept of separation of powers truly exists, thus enhancing the institution’s credibility.
Rais said the focus of the parliamentary reform agenda is on the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, as well as the Parliamentary Services Act 1963, which was repealed in 1992.
He said the Standing Orders will be improved in terms of sitting proceedings and members’ discipline, and that special select committees should be strengthened.
If all the reforms are implemented, he said, a lot of tricks and tactics can be done away with.
Six senators took their oaths of office before Rais, namely Dr Wan Martina Wan Yusoff, Datuk Ajis Sitin, Datuk Juhanis Abd Aziz, Aziz Ariffin, Seruandi Saad and Fadhlina Sidek. – Bernama, September 9, 2021
