MP SPEAKS | Parliament's first task on Nov 2 - set up a bipartisan panel on Covid-19

MP SPEAKS | The first business of Parliament on Nov 2 should be to set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Covid-19 to set an example of an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” mindset and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Parliaments of other countries have set up parliamentary committees on Covid-19 and submitted reports and recommendations on how the war against the global pandemic could be more effective, as well as on the problems faced by the most vulnerable sections of the community.

In Malaysia, however, there is no action to set up a parliamentary select committee on Covid-19, but also, all other parliamentary committees have come to a standstill since the Sheraton Move that toppled the Pakatan Harapan government in February and brought in the Perikatan Nasional government.

There are 10 Special Select Committees, namely on the Consideration of Bills, on Budget, on Defence and Home Affairs, on Gender Equality and Family Development, on States and Federal Relations, on Major Public Appointments, on Election, on Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs, on International Relations and Trade and on Science, Innovation, and Environment.

But they have all become “white elephants” as they are under lockdown and have not been able to function since the establishment of the backdoor Muhyiddin Yassin government.

In fact, even the Public Accounts Committee has become a “white elephant”, which is quite an ignominy in world parliamentary history.

It is no exaggeration to say that Malaysia, at present, has the most Parliament-unfriendly government in the history of the country.

Under such circumstances, how can Parliament act on the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and the Malay Rulers on Sunday, who made a decree when rejecting the advice of the cabinet for a proclamation of a state of emergency in Malaysia, so as to set an example to spearhead an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” mindset and approach in the war against Covid-19?

Obviously, when advising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare a state of emergency, what the Muhyiddin cabinet wanted was to use the Covid-19 pandemic to suspend Parliament, rather than to impose any state of emergency on the nation.

Is the Muhyiddin cabinet now prepared to accept and act on the advice of the Agong and the Malay Rulers and launch an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” war against the Covid-19 pandemic, starting from the first day of Parliament on Nov 2?

Under parliamentary Standing Orders, the motion to set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Covid-19 must come from the government, if it is to be the first item of parliamentary business on Nov 2.

The Covid-19 parliamentary select committee should be allowed to hold public hearings for members of the public to present information and to answer questions, which are not allowed under the present Standing Orders, although such a practice is quite common in other Commonwealth countries.

The minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Takiyuddin Hassan, has sufficient time to consult with all party leaders to finalise the make-up of the parliamentary committee on Covid-19, so as to be able to present the motion on the first day of the parliamentary budget meeting starting on Nov 2.

LIM KIT SIANG is the DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri.

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