Shelve state immunity bill, says backbencher

 

Hassan Karim said the government should encourage debate on the Jurisdictional Immunities of Foreign States Bill 2023 before rushing into a vote.

KUALA LUMPUR: A backbencher has called for the postponement of the Jurisdictional Immunities of Foreign States Bill 2023 before it is passed by the House.

Hassan Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) said the government should consult further with all stakeholders because of the bill’s significance and impact on the nation’s security and sovereignty.

“I suggest we postpone it for now. Let’s not rush into a vote this evening.

“We encourage public debate and discussion among NGOs, civil servants, universities, experts, and involve military and police veterans,” he said during the debate on the bill in the Dewan Rakyat.

Eleven MPs took part in the debate on the amendments to the bill.

The bill was read for the second and third time by law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.

Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN-Sik) agreed that the bill be postponed. He said referring the bill back to the special select committee would be a preferable course of action.

He asked about the effectiveness of the bill, saying: “What relevance does it have in our efforts to stop the Sulu claims?

“What guarantee do we have that there will be no further Sulu claims?”

The Jurisdictional Immunities of Foreign States Bill 2023 was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in November last year.

It calls for the creation of a council to deliberate and make decisions on matters related to foreign state immunity.

Additionally, the bill grants the prime minister the power to revoke any or all of the immunity accorded to a foreign state under this proposed legislation if he is convinced that Malaysia has not been granted reciprocal immunity.

It also seeks to regulate the immunity afforded to a foreign country and its assets, as well as its head of state and government, from the jurisdiction of Malaysian courts. - FMT