'No guarantee of reforms before next election'

The opposition has no business dictating to the government that electoral reforms must be completed before the next general election, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz says.

"It's not for them todictate to us, they have got no business to dictate to the government.

"They are a minority and this is the right of the government. They cannot dictate to us," he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Pakatan Rakyat MPs at a press confrence yesterday called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to guarantee that the next general election would not be called until after the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform had finished its work and the reforms it proposed were in place.

However, Nazri gave his assurance that the government would do its best to make sure that the proposals made by the select committee on electoral reforms would be implemented "as soon as possible".

"We have to work on the basis knowing that (this term of) Parliament will expire in 2013... not that we will wait until 2013, but as soon as possible. If it is possible, by next March, we can put everything in place," he said.

Opposition will not head panel

Earlier, Nazri said the cabinet had decided on a nine-member parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms, comprising five MPs from the government, three from the opposition and one Independent member.

The opposition's request that it leads the committee is not likely to happen, he said.

"If we look at all the select committees that had been set up, all of them were led by the executive. The purpose is to be able to use the facilities prepared by the government... for example, in a public hearing, we may need to rely on government departments," Nazri explained.

He elaborated that based on precedent, all other select committees formed in the past had been led by a government minister.

In anticipation of the setting up of the parliamentary committee, Nazri said, all parties could start laying their groundwork.

“Our (cabinet's) hope is that on Oct 3, we can move a motion (in Parliament) to form the select committee, so it can immediately carry out the functions.

“If possible, in the coming (Parliament) session next year, (we may be able) to not only table but – if necessary – make amendments to the current laws as suggested by the committee,” he added. - Malaysiakini