Is Parliament putting the clock back on parliamentary reforms by dissolving the present 10 Parliamentary Select Committees and replacing them with one master Parliamentary Select Committee?

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Takiyuddin Hassan should clarify whether the Perikatan Nasional Government proposes to put back the clock on parliamentary reforms by dissolving the present ten Parliamentary Select Committees and replacing them with one master Parliamentary Select Committee.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported Takiyuddin as saying at a press conference that only government matters would be prioritized during the one-day Parliament sitting on May 18, and that the government matters include the appointment of a select committee to replace existing parliamentary select committees.

There are now 12 parliamentary select committees under the Pakatan Harapan government, viz: Consideration of Bills Committee; the Budget Committee; the Rights and Gender Equality Committee; the Major Public Appointments Committee; the Defence and Home Affairs Committee; the Federal State Relations Committee; the Election; the International Relations and Trade Committere; the Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs; and Science, Innovation and Environment.

Parliament will be putting back the clock back on parliamentary reforms if the present ten Parliamentary Select Committees are dissolved.

In fact, Parliament should immediately set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Social Care to provide oversight and scrutiny of government actions in the Covid-19 pandemic.