‘Parliament to gain more credibility’

Speaker: Process for reforms to see positive change soon

KUALA LUMPUR: The process for parliamentary reforms will continue to be implemented towards making the august House a credible and respected institution, says Datuk Mohd Ariff Md Yusof.

The Dewan Rakyat Speaker said Parliament was no longer a “rubber stamp” institution like it used to be.

“We do not want such a situation again. The Parliament has to be an institution that is credible and with integrity. It has the people’s respect.

“People should not think of it as a rubber stamp and a place where people fight,” he said at a seminar on reforms yesterday.

He said the reforms carried out since four months ago, which included improving the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), setting up of six special select committees as well as on efforts to reinstate the Parliament Services Act, had brought positive changes to Parliament in bringing it on par with others in the world.

Last Tuesday, Mohd Ariff announced the setting up of six new select committees, compris- ing Special Select Committees for Consideration of Bills, Budget, Defence and Home Affairs, Rights and Gender Equality, States and Federal Relations, and Major Public Appointments.

He said the committees were essential for democracy and to provide a check and balance on the executive body.

Prior to that, he had announced the setting up of the Caucus on Reform and Governance to strengthen the functions of the parliamentary institution.

In another development, Mohd Ariff said Parliament was also working with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in an effort to improve the quality of debates by MPs, adding that a guidebook on it was distributed to members of the House last week.

In tandem with current technology, the Parliament has also launched a parliamentary application, MY Parl, which enables all quarters, including parliamentarians and the public, to access information through their smartphones on Parliament, including the Hansard and programmes.