KUALA LUMPUR – The enactment of a code of ethics for MPs will create a positive perception of Dewan Rakyat members and raise Parliament’s credibility as the nation’s main law-making institution, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim.
He said the code of ethics will be used as the main reference for lawmakers to perform their roles better, besides helping them execute their duties more effectively and prudently.
“We witnessed their (MPs’) behaviour several months ago – they have forgotten how to speak, convey ideas, and how to emphasise something in the right way. We don’t have to cuss, use abusive language, or demean our status as MPs.
“Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun and I will try to firmly enforce several provisions of the Standing Orders,” he said after appearing on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night.
Rais said the existing code of ethics has no specific source of authority and is not punitive, therefore, most of its provisions are not very effective in shaping good ethics among MPs.
With the support of the relevant parties, he said, “several types of ethics will be combined with the Parliament Act 1952” as a step towards the institution’s transformation.
Putrajaya has offered a seven-point plan that includes the revamp of Parliament and the government sector to restore political stability amid efforts to fight Covid-19 and revive the economy. – Bernama, September 12, 2021
