Cabinet agrees to three out of four proposed amendments for parliamentary transformation

The Cabinet has agreed to three out of four thrusts of the proposed amendments to the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders towards the transformation of the Malaysian Parliament, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the thrusts of the proposed amendments accepted by the Cabinet in its meeting yesterday were on oral questions, on the setting up of a Special Chamber and on the creation of Ministers' Question Time.

However, she said the Cabinet had decided to postpone the fourth thrust of the amendments, which was on the formation of new Select Committees.

"It was postponed until the members of the Cabinet Committee completed the study on the implementation of the Select Committees system in the parliament of other countries, such as Australia, Canada and United Kingdom.

"Preliminary findings of the study are expected to be known before the next Dewan Rakyat sitting scheduled to begin on March 7," she said in a statement on Thursday.

Azalina said the proposal for the parliamentary transformation would be referred back to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to be tabled for approval from Members of Parliament.

The decision to get the cabinet approval on the proposed amendments was made at the Cabinet Committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Barisan Nasional Chief Whip, on Jan 7.