MALAYSIAKINI reported two days ago that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s numbers will change from time to time, as lawmakers are elected once in five years, while the senatorship tenure expiry all year round.

The Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara are inextricably linked. Just as Hafiz Hassan wrote in his piece that reforming parliament should be the first agenda, the Dewan Negara has room for improvement.

Dewan Negara is the upper house of parliament, consisting of 70 senators, of whom 26 are named by the state assemblies and the other 44 are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, including four from the federal territories (article 45 of the Federal Constitution). 

The Dewan Negara is an essential component of parliament and is necessary to pass all legislations.

The Senate at this juncture merely exists as a rubber stamp, even though it can revise, improve, or delay Dewan Rakyat bills. 

Some of the proposals that can be considered to reform the upper house are, firstly, the eligibility of the senator who is appointed to hold the position. When one is appointed, their role is to ensure that the bill passed by the Dewan Rakyat is based on proper research. Hence, a senator’s expertise is essential.

Secondly, perhaps it is time to restructure the number of senators who are appointed by the state assemblies. Instead of giving the state the luxury of choosing two senators, appointing one from the state and another as a non-state representative would seem more appropriate.

The appointments as non-state representatives are most likely to be made based on their expertise, merits, and qualifications. There will be diversity in the appointments made. This could also reduce the influence of political parties on the selection of senators. 

Moving forward, senators should also be given the same power to initiate a new bill or reject or pass every bill through proper debate. Regardless of whether the bill is introduced in the Senate, it must first be debated before being approved. 

Perhaps a similar approach can be taken, looking at how the United Kingdom House of Lords plays an important role in public policies. – January 4, 2023.

* Matilda George reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.