Newly appointed Backbenchers Club (BBC) chairperson Shahrir Abdul Samad said he has implemented several measures to complement the role of the new 'whip system' and parliamentary affairs minister.

Previously, BBC's primary function was to prod Barisan Nasional members of Parliament to perform various tasks such as fulfilling quorums to maintain the ruling coalition's voting strength in the House.

However, BN recently enhanced the prominence of the party whip and also appointed a minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz. This has overlapped with the functions of the BBC.

Traditionally, the party whip controls MPs while in Parliament and also ensures maximum attendance to support the ruling coalition during a vote. The whip also organises speakers during debate in the House and schedules speeches.

Despite its role being usurped, Shahrir, who is MP for Johor Bahru, said BBC can serve in the strategic management of the floor.

"For example, when we motioned against Karpal Singh, we had a strategy as to what would be our line of attack and defence," he added when contacted.

Shahrir was referring to the move by government members to take disciplinary action against opposition MP Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) for 'misleading' Parliament over the oath-taking controversy.

He explained this selecting the MPs to speak at debates as well as deciding on what they should say.

"The parliamentary whip would have to discuss and consult with us on political strategies. We are regularly engaged in active discussions on how to set political agenda. There is also consultation between the front and back benches," he said.

Graduate unemployment

According to Shahrir, BBC would also be involved in initiatives outside of Parliament.

At present, he said BBC is conducting a study on graduate unemployment and collecting feedback from individuals and non-government organisations.

Furthermore, Shahrir said BBC plans to set up fully fledged research offices to cater for BN parliamentarians.

Asked on what more can be expected from the BBC, he replied: "We'll make up the rules as we go along."