The Dewan Rakyat cannot perform the functions expected of a legislature in a democratic country if it continues to shun giving space to the Opposition, argues Padang Serai MP N Surendran.

This includes not being able to table private member's bills and not allowing its motions to be heard and debated.

 

The PKR vice-president who is still under a six month suspension from Parliament, reminded that the Dewan Rakyat is not there just to pass bills brought by the government.

 

“It is an essential task of Parliament to scrutinise, criticise and debate the policies and actions of the government. In short, the biggest task of Parliament is to be a check upon the government.

 

“However, the standing orders and the policies of the BN government do not allow this to happen,” he said in a statement today.

 

Surendran ( left ) added that the opposition had no opportunity of bringing any motion to debate as all of the Lower House's time is devoted to government business only.

 

The Padang Serai MP said opposition motions were put on the order paper, but never allowed to be debated.

 

“This is in contrast to the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth parliaments, where 'opposition days' are allotted for opposition motions.

 

“The refusal to allot 'opposition days' has a crippling effect on the Dewan Rakyat's key function as a check upon the executive,” he added.

 

Government stranglehold

Similarly, Surendran pointed out that time is not given for private member's bills to be tabled or heard, thus giving the government a stranglehold on passing new laws and preventing crucial discussions and the development of the law.

 

Even the questions of the Opposition MPs to ministers, he said, had to be submitted many weeks earlier, thus making the questions ineffectual and stale, and preventing questions from being asked on matters of national interest and urgency.

 

“This is in contrast to the UK, Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries, where questions can be asked of ministers on very short notice or no notice at all,” he said, adding motions on urgent matters brought by the opposition never see the light of the day as they are almost never allowed by the Speaker.

 

Surendran said the Dewan Rakyat is funded by the people to scrutinise the government's actions, and acts as a key pillar to democracy.

 

Hence, it is critical for the government to implement urgent reforms to the legislature and allow opposition days, like in the Commonwealth countries, as well as the tabling of private member's bills, shortened notice for questions to ministers and scrutiny of bills by select committees.

Surendran said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must realise that Malaysia can never become the “best democracy in the world”, which Najib continuously espouses, if Parliament is not urgently reformed.