Former treasury secretary-general Sheriff Mohd Kassim has called for the establishment of more permanent parliamentary select committees (PSCs) to ensure good governance.

This is to enable the thorough scrutiny of bills, including seeking feedback from stakeholders, before it is presented in parliament for voting.

He pointed out that even Indonesia has permanent PSCs, and the fact that Malaysia has only one – the Public Accounts Committee ( pic below ) – shows that Malaysia is a poor practitioner of good governance.

“This system of PSCs will help raise the image of parliament as a working institution, instead of a being cynically seen as a talk shop or a rubber stamp.

“I also feel that unlike the old days, many of today’s MPs are well-educated and civic-minded individuals who enter politics to do something useful for the country and for their political career.

“The select committees will give them the opportunity to prove what they are worthy as lawmakers,” he said at a forum 'Upholding the Principles of the Federal Constitution' today.

The talk was organised by the group Peace, Conscience and Reason (Pcore) and was held at the Royal Selangor Club this morning.

For the record, Indonesia’s parliament has 11 commissions, which operate in a similar fashion as PSCs.

Each has a specific area of responsibility, such as human rights, defence, migration, and others.

During election campaigns for the Indonesian legislature, candidates often highlight the commission that they intend to join if they win the election, as part of their campaign commitment.

Bipartisan membership, including experts

Sheriff, who is a member of the pro-moderation movement G25, proposed a bipartisan PSC on law reform and human rights.

This would allow qualified professionals to be put in the committee to discuss bills that have an impact on the rights of Malaysians before it is presented in the house for debate, he said, including with human rights activists and interest groups.

Another important PSC, Sheriff ( right ) said, would be on finance and the national budget

This committee would provide parliamentary oversight on the government’s plans on revenue, expenditure, and borrowing.

It would allow interested parties and experts to voice their views and concerns about the budget, he said.

“Given the great interest which the public have over the national debt, surely it is in their interest to see public funds being closely monitored in our parliament as it is in Westminster and the US Congress,” he said in the almost 80-minute long talk.