PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has put forth seven offers for parliamentary transformation and governance reform, which include limiting the tenure of the prime minister to 10 years and the tabling of an anti-party hopping bill.
 
He is also offering to give ministerial status to the opposition leader.
 
“The offers are intended to create a new political landscape with the transformation and reform of governance, especially in strengthening the role of the Parliamentary institution,” he said in a statement today.
 
Other offers include the implementation of Undi18 in the near future, with the tabling of a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, the Special Parliamentary Committees will include government and opposition MPs for checks-and-balances. 

As for legislative improvements, all bills including the supply bill will be tabled, discussed, and mutually agreed upon in Parliament.

Opposition members will be included in the national recovery council and allowed to voice their views and proposals.
 
Ismail said the matters were agreed to at the cabinet meeting today, adding that Putrajaya is committed towards the transformation agenda to restore political stability and to steer the country out of the Covid-19 epidemic and towards economic recovery. 
 
Ismail’s predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin had previously outlined a similar offer to opposition MPs in a telecast last month, in an effort to gather bipartisan support to stay in power, in light of this thin majority.

The enactment of an anti-party hopping law and parliamentary reforms were among the offers made by the then embattled prime minister.
 
Muhyiddin tendered his resignation three days later on August 16, when the opposition rejected his offer.
 
Ismail, however, did not set a time line for his proposed reforms to be carried out.
 
The prime minister said the offer to the opposition is in line with the decree by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the conference of rulers on the importance of a stable administration during a time of crisis, such as the Covid-19 outbreak.
 
He said the government is also committed to introducing more transformation initiatives from time to time.
 
“The government is of the view that all quarters should give focus and importance to political stability, the administration of the country, the fight against Covid-19, and economic recovery,” he said. – September 10, 2021.