KUCHING, March 24: Parliament Special Select Committee (PSSC) members are urging Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Harun and Law Minister Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar under Standing Order 90(2) to suspend Parliamentary Standing Order 83(4).
PSSC on Health, Science And Innovation chairman Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, PSSC on Agriculture And Domestic Trade chairman Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, PSSC on Security chairman Dato’ Johari Abdul, and PSSC on Education chairman Dr Maszlee Malik all held the same view.
In a joint statement today, they said under Standing Order 90(2), it should also allow a motion in the House as soon as possible to get agreement of the House so that all PSSC members are not handicapped in responsibility to carry out their duties while waiting for the necessary amendments.
“On top of that other important amendments including amending Standing Order 83(2) for the committee to have the discretion to decide the format of meeting or inquiry that we intend to have, 83(5a) to allow the PSSC meetings to be held virtually or hybrid and also 83(9) to strengthen our authority to decide the witnesses, documents and papers it intends to examine for purposes of deliberations and inquiries and whether they should be invited, requested or summoned,” the statement read.
They also said the Speaker and the Law Minister must make the necessary amendments to the Parliamentary Standing Order to empower and confirm the rightful authority of the PSSCs to carry out proceedings once needed to ensure accountability and transparency of government and adherence to the principles of separation of power.
“This is referring specifically to the need to amend Parliamentary Standing Order 83(4) which reads: ‘(4)The deliberations of a Select Committee shall be confined to the matter referred to it by the House and any extension or limitation thereof made by the House, and, in the case of a Select Committee on a Bill, to the Bill committed to it and relevant amendments’,” they said.
They pointed out that some quarters are now interpreting the current standing order to mean that, technically the PSSCs could only function only if a subject matter was referred to the committee by the House, which by convention requires the Minister to refer a matter specifically to the PSSC or a motion tabled in the House.
This interpretation, they said, is contrary to current practice and the objectives behind the formation of the PSSCs, as well as to international best practices.
“That is why this provision must be amended on top of an official guideline to ensure that the interpretation of any Order of Reference of the PSSC or whether certain subjects are within the scope of their Order of Reference is a matter for that the Committee to resolve.
“It is not necessary to obtain clarification or approval of either the House or the Minister concerned with the matters being or intended to be deliberated,” they emphasised. — DayakDaily
