A NGO known as Parliamentary Audit Committee to monitor performance of
Ministers and MPs should be formed before Parliament meets on February
14
Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang
(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): A
Non-Government Organisation, named tentatively as Parliamentary Audit Committee
to monitor the performance of Ministers and MPs, should be formed
before the Dewan Rakyat meets for 32 days from 14th February to 5th April
2000 to debate the Royal Address, pass the 2000 Budget and other bills.
Such an organisation should not only monitor the performance of Ministers,
MPs and State Assembly members, but also propose wide-ranging reforms of
parliamentary practices and procedures to transform the Malaysian Parliament
from a nineteenth-century institution into a millennium Parliament.
Parliamentary reforms which should be given serious consideration include:
-
live telecast of parliamentary proceedings;
-
daily two-hour question hour;
-
some 30 specialist Parliamentary Select Committees with a Select Committee
for every Ministry;
-
about ten general Parliamentary Select Committees to produce annual reports
on IT, Women’s Agenda, Environment, mass media, corruption, etc;
-
allocation of certain days specifically to deal with Opposition business;
-
research and constituency staffing for MPs;
-
end of discrimination between Barisan Nasional and Barisan Alternative
MPs by ensuring that every MP is entitled to annual constituency development
funds.
(5/1/2000)
*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman