KUALA LUMPUR – In conjunction with the 62nd anniversary of Parliament today, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun wants the institution’s special select committee to be empowered, saying it plays the key role of providing checks and balances.
He described the bipartisan committee as being private and specialised, discussing certain matters in depth without politicking.
“I want to inculcate the practice of using the special select committee, as I really believe the committee has an important function in terms of providing checks and balances as it comprises representatives from both the government and opposition.
“The committee also has the power to call ministers and civil servants to answer questions, and I feel this is very significant for Parliament,” he told the Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme on TV1.
Azhar said as speaker, he has implemented several parliamentary reforms, among them allocating time in an equal manner between government and opposition MPs during debates.
On the view that Parliament should be a truly independent body, he said the institution has been playing the same role as the independent judiciary.
“In fact, when I became speaker, we were never told or given any directive by the executive on what to do and what not to do.
“It really depends on the MPs to debate the policies tabled in Parliament academically, without being emotional.”
In preparation for the Dewan Rakyat sitting next Monday, Azhar said various initiatives have been carried out to minimise the risk of Covid-19 infection, among them the installation of ultraviolet air filters in the main hall, making the level of ventilation “on a par with that of a hospital”.
On a hybrid session, he said a draft on the matter was brought to the House’s sitting committee on Monday. – Bernama, September 11, 2021
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