MELAKA: The state is taking a longer period to study the proposal of setting up an independent committee aimed at strengthening the state administration’s governance and integrity.
A motion seeking the establishment of the Melaka Special Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Melcat) has been postponed to later this year to allow for more discussions.
Duyong assemblyman Damian Yeo Shen Li, who is instrumental in pushing for Melcat's formation, said more time was required as there were a few loose ends to tie up.
According to Yeo, the committee would be the best mechanism to ensure integrity and transparency of the state administration.
“Melcat will carry out a detailed evaluation of governance in all aspects involving the state government, as well as the effectiveness of all state government bodies,” he said.
He said the motion would pave the way for the establishment of a stringent monitoring system that had its ‘eyes and ears’ trained on the entire state government machinery.
All aspects of the state government, from its chief minister, state executive councillors, government officials, government agencies and state government subsidiaries will be subject to scrutiny.
The proposed committee will also give the public the space to lodge complaints with regard to governance and integrity issues involving the state government.
Not only will such complaints be investigated by the committee, public inquiries will also be held.
Yeo, who is more popularly known as Baba Yeo due to his Peranakan heritage, said Melcat's mechanism was along the lines of the monitoring systems implemented by Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia and England that have proven to be effective.
He said Penang and Selangor already have their own monitoring mechanisms in place, but Melcat would have its own workings based on Melaka's needs, circumstances and issues.
“Ours will be a hybrid of the systems used in Penang and Selangor. We studied the strengths and weaknesses of their systems and formulated our own system according to our mould,” said Yeo, who is also a lawyer.
Melcat, explained Yeo, would be placed under the jurisdiction of the Melaka State Assembly and would be tasked with investigating issues of importance to the state.
“Melcat can look into any issue, whether or not it has been discussed in the state assembly, and then carry out investigations,” he said, adding that the public would be the committee's most important source as the people themselves were expected to come forward with their complaints and present the necessary evidence.
Melcat will also be given the power to summon witnesses to assist in their investigations and conduct public inquiries to prove that their proceedings are transparent.
“If Melcat is to get a complaint against a local authority, it can summon its officers or even the chief minister himself to testify during the public enquiry,” said Yeo.
However, the public inquiry component and some other aspects of Melcat are still being studied in view of the fact that certain evidence cannot be disclosed to the public due to its sensitive nature. — Bernama
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