Report on Senate reforms ready in March, says Yusmadi

The Senate Reform Working Committee will be submitting a report on how to improve the effectiveness of the Upper House to the Parliamentary Reform Committee chaired by Anwar Ibrahim this March.

Senate Reform Working Committee chairperson Senator Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff (above) said the main focus of the proposal was to ensure that the Upper House was no longer perceived as merely "a rubber stamp".

He said the Senate had an important role to play which included working together with parliamentarians at the local, regional and international level to highlight significant national and global issues.

"These issues include the rights of migrants, refugees and Rohingyas and how governments can address them locally so that their rights are further protected, "Yusmadi told Malaysiakini.

"For example, on Jan 16, I spoke on behalf of Malaysian MPs supporting the draft resolution on Rohingyas proposed by Canadian MPs," said the former PKR Balik Pulau MP.

Yusmadi was in Siem Reap, Cambodia recently together with senators Raj Munni @ Aiman Athirah Sabu and Nga Hock Cheh to attend the 27th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum.

The Senate Reform Working Committee currently comprises 14 members from different states and backgrounds.

Each senator is qualified and an expert in his or her own field while the committee was formed as the result of discussions among members and after approval of Senate president SA Vigneswaran.

Yusmadi, a practising lawyer, said the reforms proposed for the Senate were also to promote “parliamentary diplomacy'.

"It is about encouraging senators to create a 'people-to-people' relationship with other countries with a view of enhancing cultural understanding and promoting trade and investment among others".

"We will be forwarding our proposals on how to make the Senate represent the needs and aspirations of all Malaysians from every constituency," said Yusmadi, who is also the founder of Rights Foundation.

The foundation is an independent think-tank and charity organisation focusing on governance, human rights and social issues in the region.

"Since every state has appointed its own senators, we would also like to put forward the aspirations of every state to make the Dewan Senate more representative of all groups," added Yusmadi.

He said that many activities were also in the pipeline to raise citizens' awareness and interests in the role of the Senate.

These include a road show in every state and meeting with the heads of state and their MPs and assemblypersons to be informed and educated about the needs and aspirations of the local constituents.

"This knowledge will help senators perform better when the Upper House sits and no longer be perceived as just a rubber stamp to the Dewan Rakyat (lower house)," he said.  - Mkini