PARLIAMENT’S special select committee meetings will be open to the public and livestreamed starting next year, said Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

“Our plan is to open up the proceedings of the special select committee meetings.

“Right now, proceedings lack transparency. They are confidential, unless and until the report is tabled in Parliament. 

“That’s not a very good system. So, we have redrafted the rules and by March, it should be in force,” said the Dewan Rakyat speaker at a dinner marking the 60th anniversary of Parliament yesterday.

Just like the US Senate hearings, Ariff said the proceedings should be open to the public.

“Proceedings as a rule shall be open unless closed. So, the public can come in and we will do livestreaming of the proceedings on the Parliament website. 

“This is the only way to go to achieve a mature Parliament,” said the former judge.

Ariff was speaking on the select committee reforms Parliament has undertaken in the past 18 months.

Under Pakatan Harapan, Parliament has created 10 new select committees. The first six – budget, major public appointments, rights and gender equality, defence and home affairs, federal-state relations and consideration of bills – were created last year.

In addition, Parliament started special select committees – election, human rights and constitutional affairs, international relations and trade and science, innovation and environment – last week.

The special select committee on elections is headed by Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh while the human rights committee is being led by three-term MP Charles Santiago (Klang).

The international relations and trade committee will be led by Subang MP Wong Chen while the last committee on environment will headed by Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s Fadillah Yusof (Petrajaya).

Parliament has also created two all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) on sustainable development goals (SDG) and policy for refugees. Unlike select committees, which only have MPs, the APPGs is open to academics, civil society groups and industry professionals. 

They will discuss, review and submit reports to Parliament on pertinent issues.

Another major development is the parliamentary commission law. Ariff said Parliament has drafted the bill which will be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review soon. – December 12, 2019.