Parliament and Law portfolio named third-best performer

 

The Parliament and Law portfolio under the Prime Minister’s Department has been named as the third-best performer, according to the research findings by independent research firms, Ilham Centre and O2 Research.

The selection was based on the research and survey conducted on the achievements of all ministries under their 100-day key performance indicators (KPI), in which both firms named the Health Ministry as the top-performing ministry, followed by the Finance Ministry.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it was indeed a significant recognition for the work carried out in support of the prime minister’s transformation agenda.

“The execution of these initiatives is a tedious process as it involves extensive studies, engagement with the key stakeholders as well as amendments to the Federal Constitution and other related laws. Considering that I only took over this portfolio at the end of August, I must admit that we have achieved quite a lot.

“Despite the challenges, I am indeed honoured to have the trust of the prime minister in executing these difficult tasks – which are significant elements in the country’s transformation agenda. To be recognised as the third top performer serves as an encouragement for me to work harder for the nation and rakyat (people),” he said in a statement yesterday.

Apart from the routine functions, Wan Junaidi was tasked with four initiatives which were also listed in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan, including the transformation in government administration (anti-party hopping law, limiting the tenure of prime minister to not more than 10 years, implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration).

Other initiatives include parliamentary reforms (to reintroduce the Parliamentary Services Act, amendments to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 and to introduce the Members of Parliament Code of Ethics, independence of the judiciary, as well as the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) (bill to amend several provisions in the Federal Constitution relevant to the agreement).

'More reforms to come'

Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi said the bill to amend several provisions in the Federal Constitution relevant to the MA63 was expected to take place on Dec 14, while Undi18 and automatic registration of voters could be implemented by Jan 1 next year.

For the bill on parliamentary reforms, he said it was scheduled to be presented to the speaker by mid-January next year and tabled in Parliament in March 2022, while the bill on anti-party hopping was expected to be tabled in Parliament in July next year.

As for limiting the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years, Wan Junaidi said the matter was currently being studied with the assistance of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and Attorney General’s Chambers.

“In addition to this, the BHEUU is now in the midst of conducting surveys with the MPs and public to gauge their views on this issue and on the anti-party-hopping law.

“The Legal Affairs Division is also looking at the amendments to other laws like the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, Penal Code to add provisions on harassment and stalking, and the possibility of enacting a Freedom of Information legislation for Malaysia,” he said.

- Bernama