He said a revival or reintroduction of the Act was on the agenda during his discussion with Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim and Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun yesterday.
“This move is consistent with what has been taken by other parliaments internationally,” Wan Junaidi said in a statement today.
“I am happy to inform that both the Yang di-Pertua Dewan Negara and Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat took the proposal positively and are, in fact, prepared to take on the lead role in the transformation of our Parliament.”
Wan Junaidi said another proposal discussed was the replacement of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges & Powers) Act 1952 (revised 1988) with a new law.
He said the Act must be replaced because it was approved in 1952 while Malaya was under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948.
“The Act is obsolete and outdated and no longer suitable for the political landscape of the 21st century. Instead of amending it, it is better to come up with a new law which is more comprehensive, inclusive and complete,” he said.
He said they also discussed proposed amendments to the Standing Orders for both houses in line with other reforms.
“While there have been amendments made from time to time, many of these rules are a relic of the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948, which was only amended in 1956 ahead of independence in 1957. It was further amended in 1959 to create a basis for the standing orders and rules of the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat.
“However, many of these rules are not able to accommodate many modern things in Parliament.
“Many Commonwealth countries have been making amendments to their rules and procedures in Parliament to suit current times. In our quest for parliamentary reforms, it is crucial for us to make changes and improvements to the set of rules that may no longer be suitable in today’s environment.”
Wan Junaidi said they also agreed to establish a joint committee between Parliament and his ministry to allow for further discussions on the reforms and their swift execution.
“As for the next course of action, I will be submitting a report on this matter to the Cabinet for endorsement,” he said.
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