After peaceful and democratic transfer of power, two further challenges for Malaysia to become world-class nation are to transform a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity and far-reaching parliamentary reforms
I congratulate Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Steven Sim for the launching of his first book “Dalam Ada Bunga” by the Speaker of Parliament, Datuk Mohd Ariff Mohd Yusuf.
I am particularly attracted by Sim’s poem “Lim Kit Siang” when in the last few days of the 13th Parliament in April 2018, I was treated like a parliamentary “ghost” when the Parliament Speaker and his Deputy Speakers said they could not see me when I entered the parliamentary chamber – because I was suspended for six months for the second time in the 13th Parliament.
Today is the last day of the first meeting of the 14th Parliament and this is a day of history for Malaysia.
We have had the very important and historic ruling by the Speaker, Datuk Mohd Ariff Mhd Yusuf on August 2 reversing the tyrannical decision of the previous speaker, lifting the ban and allowing MPs to ask questions and to demand full accounting for the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal.
Today, we have three important business on the Parliamentary Order Paper, viz:
- firstly, to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act, which was designed to save former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak from the 1MDB scandal;
- secondly, the motion directing the Auditor-General and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to conduct again a detailed investigation on the embezzlement of monies and the scandal with regard to 1MDB and its related companies in order to restore the dignity of the Dewan Rakyat and for all related information to be made public; and
- thirdly, the motion to accept the Report of the House Committee to set up six parliamentary special select committees on Consideration of Bills, Budget, Home and Defence, Rights and Gender Equality, Federal-State Relations, and Major Public Appointments.
On May 9, 2018, Malaysians did the country proud when they succeeded in peacefully and democratically changed the government in the 14th General Election – a great achievement for the world at a time when democracy was in retreat worldwide.
Now we have two further challengers for Malaysia to become a world-class nation – firstly, to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity, and secondly, to effect far-reaching parliamentary reforms.
A motion before Parliament today will set up six Parliamentary special select committees although the original proposals was for the establishment of 18 select committees.
This is a step in the right direction although I would prefer to see more parliamentary select committees to be set up so that a Ministry is shadowed by a select committee.