IPOH – The Dewan Negara should not be seen as the legislative chamber that simply rubber stamps bills that were earlier passed in the Dewan Rakyat, said newly appointed Senator Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Instead, Mujahid suggested that the upper House undergo necessary reforms that were first mooted in the previous terms.
“The reform agenda mooted by newly minted Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for a meaningful and constructive debate should ensue when Senate members are debating proposed legislation.
“This is because the public has an ongoing perception that the Dewan Negara is just a ‘rubber stamp’” platform, he said.
“This should not stop Senate members from engaging in healthy democratic discourse and to offer suggestions on sustainable nation-building efforts,” Mujahid told journalists, here.
The Penang-born politician was appointed as a senator after losing his Parit Buntar parliamentary seat in the last general election.
A religious scholar, Mujahid said that the Dewan Negara needs to showcase its tenacity and commitment to the people when it debates bills passed by the lower House.
“The upper House must also become a beacon of hope in this national unity federal government.
“Our ethics, our observation of the standing orders and how we debate should be exemplary to the public.
“They are watching us as we represent their interests in the challenging times of a post-pandemic era.”
Among those who had also mooted reforms in the Dewan Negara was former senator Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff.
He called for the Dewan Negara to provide more checks and balances as to what transpires in the Dewan Rakyat.
Similar to Mujahid, Yusmadi is also a former parliamentarian, having served one term as the Balik Pulau MP. – The Vibes, June 21, 2023
