Maintain parliamentary select committees, PN gov't urged

Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has urged the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to maintain the existing parliamentary select committees to uphold democracy in the country.

This comes after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan said earlier today that one of the four motions proposed by the government for the May 18 one-day Parliament sitting will be to appoint a select committee that “would be tasked with replacing existing parliamentary select committees”.

“It was under the Pakatan Harapan government that the parliamentary select committees were revived and made part of the democratic effort to empower MPs to be fully involved in national policy and law-making.

“Without the vibrancy and watchdog role of the select committees, PN is going against the grain of building democratic processes and brings disrepute to the august house,” Maria (photo) said in a statement today.

Currently, there are 11 parliamentary select committees including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with topics focusing on science and innovation, trade and international relations, human rights, gender equality, public appointments and government expenditure, among others.

Maria said if all these were to be merged under one select committee, important issues will surely be silenced.

It would also spell the end for key stakeholders to have a chance to reach MPs with public-driven policy initiatives through the select committees, as well as making MPs less proactive to developments within those key areas, she said.

“PN seems to be on a campaign to suppress all democratic platforms and to kill off any check and balance to its administration.

“We seem to be witnessing a PN government being the key proponent in breaking up our already fragile democracy and devolving it into an autocracy by centralising control.

“If we continue to allow the government to act this way, constructive dissent and individual freedom will soon be eroded,” she said.

On top of that, she also questioned whether the lack of accountability will mean that the government parliamentarians - who were selected to sit in “cushy, highly-paid positions” like the CEOs or board chairperson within GLCs - will operate in “complete opacity”.

Maria also took issue with the Parliament sitting being only one day, as she said Malaysia already has the technology to hold a full virtual Parliament sitting via video conferencing.

Echoing many others who have criticised the one-day sitting, she said countries such as Canada and the UK are already utilising technology to hold a fully virtual Parliament session.

Many other Parliaments, she said, have also adopted other methods to ensure government scrutiny and parliamentary procedures continue during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

She said this includes reducing the number of MPs attending, staggering attendance of MPs and using thermal imaging to measure the temperatures of MPs.

“It is appalling that this present government fails to understand the importance of holding a Parliament sitting. It is even more imperative for sittings to be held at a time when Malaysia is facing a crisis.

“As democratically elected representatives of the people, we have the duty and responsibility to raise our concerns, to question national policies and give our opinions regarding several pressing issues, such as the Covid-19 stimulus budgets, the status of management of the virus, the distribution of assistance to the needy, the economic recovery plans post-Covid-19, the social safety net for people in Malaysia and many other issues,” she said. - Mkini