Dewan Rakyat introduces Ministers' Question Time

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat will hold a special Ministers' Question Time (MQT) beginning with the October session.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia (pix) said the 30-minute session will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays before the session for replies to oral questions begin.

"The MQT will begin at 10am until 10.30am to allow for questions on serious issues and will be answered by the relevant ministers," he told reporters after attending the briefing and simulation session of the MQT, here today.
Pandikar Amin said members of parliament would be limited to one minute to ask their questions and the ministers have three minutes to answer them.

"This will be followed by the first supplementary question which is limited to 30 seconds and the minister or deputy minister to answer in 2 minutes 30 seconds. Similarly, the second and subsequent supplementary questions," he said.

Pandikar Amin said questions could be submitted at the latest one day before the session begins at 10am to his office.

"If the session is on Tuesday, the question must arrive by 10am on Monday. So that the ministry concerned can discuss how to answer it," he said.

He said the new session was part of the first phase of the parliament transformation plan, other than the Special Chambers which was implemented at the start of the last session.

The MQT was unanimously agreed by the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders Committee on April 7. — Bernama