PARLIAMENT | The Dewan Rakyat can approve bills without going through parliamentary special select committees (PSSCs), said its speaker Johari Abdul.
Addressing the august house this morning, he said PSSCs are not part of the process to approve bills but instead serve only as a platform for ministries to get early feedback on proposed laws.
“Regarding the status of bills that are passed in the Dewan Rakyat without PSSCs summoning the respective ministries for scrutiny, I would like to state here that this issue does not arise.
“The bills are properly enacted and valid because presentation to a PSSC is not part of the process to pass a bill.
“Instead, (PSSCs) serve as an official platform for ministries to gather early feedback on bills that they are proposing,” he said.
While Johari did not refer to a specific bill, he was believed to be addressing criticism of several bills being allowed to proceed to the second reading stage without being scrutinised by relevant PSSCs.
They include the Urban Renewal Bill 2025, which is widely known as the URA, and the Government Procurement Bill 2025.
Johari also reiterated that it is the responsibility of the PSSC to go through the bills that have been tabled for their first reading and summon the respective ministries for scrutiny.
“I also want to advise members of this house that the (Dewan Rakyat) Standing Orders must be interpreted comprehensively and not selectively.
“This is to prevent any statement that can confuse the public, to protect the credibility of this august house.” - Mkini
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