Five proposals to kick-start the most memorable Parliamentary meeting in Malaysian history in a fortnight’s time

I have suggested that the seven-week Parliamentary meeting starting in a fortnight’s time should be the most memorable Parliamentary meeting in Malaysian history in initiating institutional reforms for Malaysia to achieve the twin goals of uniting the plural society in Malaysia and to restore Malaysia as a first-rate world-class nation.

The Cabinet tomorrow should consider the possibility of setting up a Cabinet committee to make the forthcoming Parliamentary meeting and the three-week parliamentary meeting in June the most memorable parliamentary meetings in Malaysian history.

I have five proposals to kick-start the February/March 2023 meeting of Parliament to make it the most memorable Parliamentary meeting in Malaysian history, viz:

1. Table the Reports of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), the Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) and the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) in Parliament as White Papers.

These Committees were set up in 2018 during the Pakatan Harapan government under former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to hear the views of various civil society groups on strengthening the system of governance and the rule of law.

As far as I know, the Reports of the CEP, IRC and ERC were never tabled in the Pakatan Harapan Government Cabinet although they were completed and submitted to the Prime Minister before the Pakatan Harapan government was toppled by the infamous Sheraton Move political conspiracy in February 2020.

Why should there be such secrecy on matters of clear public interest with regard to the hundreds of recommendations related to governance, integrity and corruption prevention in the CEP report?

I reiterate my call in October 2019 and again propose that the CEP, IRC and ERC Reports should be presented to the Feb. 13 Parliament as White Papers to allow Parliamentarians and the public the opportunity to debate their merits or demerits.

2. Table Bills to limit the term and power of the Prime Minister; to separate the office of the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutor and to restore the Parliamentary Services Act on the dignity and independence of Parliament.
3. To uphold the doctrine of separation of powers and introduce a Bill to amend the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Act to ensure that the appointment of judges, including the Chief Justice and major judicial appointments, is free from the influence of the Prime Minister and reflect diversity and inclusivity, and as far as possible, mirror the demography of the general population in every aspect.
4. Increase of parliamentary sitting days from 71 for 2023 to a minimum of 100 days per year so that all needed legislative reforms could be carried out and hat there would be an active parliamentary select committee (PSC) system to provide an effective check and balance on the Executive.
5. Passage of a Malaysian Integrity Plan to lay out a Charter for Malaysia to become one of the top nations in the world in public integrity and not to lose out to one after another nation on the anti-corruption front.