Nine parliamentary select committees restructured - Speaker Azhar

KUALA LUMPUR: The nine existing parliamentary special select committees have been restructured involving the composition of lawmakers from both opposition and government, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

Azhar said that the restructuring exercise was a follow-up to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability between the federal government and Pakatan Harapan on Sept 13.

"To fulfil one of the things agreed upon, namely, the balance of membership of the select committees, membership has been increased from seven members to nine, namely, five government Members of Parliament (MPs) and four opposition MPs in each select committee.

"The chairmen of the select committees are also divided between the government and the opposition in a ratio of 5:4," he said in a statement today.

Azhar said that from the government, they are Beaufort MP, Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun, as the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Fundamental Liberty and Constitutional Rights, while Rompin MP, Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin, is the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Finance and Economy.

"Chairman of the Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister's Department is Kuala Krai MP, Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman, while chairman of the Special Select Committee on Infrastructure Development is Tanjong Manis MP, Yusuf Abd Wahab.

"Chairman for Special Select Committee on Women's and Children's Affairs and Social Development is Pengerang MP, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said," he said.

Meanwhile, on the opposition, he said that Sungai Petani MP, Datuk Johari Abdul, was the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Security, while Kulim and Bandar Bharu MP, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, was the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Agriculture and Domestic Trade.

"Simpang Renggam MP, Dr Maszlee Malik, is the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Education while Bandar Kuching MP, Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, is the chairman of the Special Select Committee on Health, Science and Innovation.

In the meantime, Azhar said that another select committee will be established, namely the Special Select Committee on International Affairs, which was currently in the process of selecting its members, thus bringing the total number of select committees to 10.

"Hopefully, with the new structure, these committees will be able to carry out the responsibilities entrusted effectively, towards strengthening the functions of the country's legal institutions further, that are more transparent and credible, in line with the aspiration to strengthen the reform of the Malaysian Parliament," he said.

-- BERNAMA