Suspend those with active court cases, says Rais

 

Senate president Rais Yatim says members of federal and state legislatures should uphold a code of ethics. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Parliamentarians with active court cases should have their membership suspended from both the upper and lower houses until their case is settled, Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim said.

“It is time for Parliament to decide that anyone who has been charged in court, let alone found guilty, should have their membership suspended,” he said at a talk show aired by Bernama tonight.

He said that such a reform would show the country that Parliament respects and promotes the rule of law.

However, such a reform would not be easy to achieve, as some court cases can be protracted.

“If an appeal in court takes a year or more, what if the general election takes place during that time, this is probably what the prime minister would be thinking about as it concerns the future of the country,” he said.

Rais also said a code of ethics should be imposed on every member of the federal and state legislatures.

“I think it is important that such a code is put into law and applied to those who become (elected representatives), whereby they are subject to the conditions the day they take their oath.”

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced seven potential parliamentary and administrative reforms aimed at bringing about the political stability needed to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and revive the country’s economy.

These include, among others, the tabling of an anti-hopping bill, the swift lowering of the voting age to 18, a constitutional amendment to limit the prime minister’s term to 10 years and providing the leader of the opposition with the remuneration and facilities equivalent to a minister. - FMT