THE Parliaments of Malaysia and France intend to form the Joint Committee on Democracy and Human Rights to ensure the people’s well-being. 

A statement issued by the Communication Division of the Malaysian Parliament today said the matter is among those discussed during a courtesy call by a French Parliament delegation to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun and Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim at the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. 

It said the courtesy call by the French delegation was aimed at further strengthening the existing bilateral relations between the parliamentary institutions of the two countries. 

An understanding was also reached by both parties to send and receive parliamentary officials to study the administrative and legal systems of the respective Parliaments, it said. 

The meeting, among others, also touched on the issue of sanctions and trade barriers imposed by France and the European Union on the palm oil market, as well as its importance as a source of income for the country. 

They also discussed having a dialogue for them to learn and better understand the legal system and the division of power between the federal and state governments in Malaysia, the role of Parliament as the pillar of democracy and voice of the people and the involvement of the young generation in politics and the country’s administration.

The six-member French delegation was led by president of the French-Southeast Asian Parliament Friendship Group, Mathieu Darnaud.

Also present were Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon and two Dewan Negara Members, Koh Nai Kwong and Bobbey Ahfang Suan, as well as Dewan Negara secretary Mohd Sujairi Abdullah and Dewan Rakyat Secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin. – Bernama, May 10, 2022.