KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, the chairpersons of the Parliamentary Special Select Committees (JKPK) were granted the opportunity to present their respective reports during the Parliamentary sitting beginning today.
Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said the move is aimed at enhancing public understanding and awareness of the JKPK’s roles and functions in addressing current issues.
“We aim to elevate the status of the JKPK. For this reason, I have urged the chairpersons to play a more proactive role in ensuring the Dewan Rakyat fulfils its function as a check-and-balance mechanism for the executive body,” he said after the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The Special Select Committee on Domestic Trade, Entrepreneurship, Cost of Living, and Agriculture, chaired by Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah), was the first to present its report titled ‘The Potential of the Hybrid Beef Cattle Industry in Malaysia.’
Johari added that the presentation of the reports by the JKPK chairpersons is conducted under Standing Order 14(1)L, read in conjunction with Standing Order 25 of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders.
Johari said each JKPK chairperson would have seven minutes to present their report, followed by a debate involving four MPs - two from the government and two from the opposition.
Each MP is allocated three minutes to respond, with the chairperson given five minutes for their concluding remarks.
He also stressed the importance of ministry representatives, including ministers, deputy ministers, or senior officials, being present during the sessions. Their attendance, he said, reflects the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised by the committees.
On July 17, Johari announced that both the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and JKPK would be allowed to table their reports in the Dewan Rakyat. This initiative aims to improve public understanding of the committees’ efforts in addressing national issues.
He further added that this decision, made during a meeting with the chairpersons of both committees on June 24, is part of broader efforts to enhance the accountability and transparency of the Dewan Rakyat.
