New special select committees to be set up in Parliament after govt, opposition agree to change composition

KUALA LUMPUR: A motion will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Oct 11) to set up several Special Select Committees, says Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

"I was informed that the government and Opposition agreed on Wednesday (Oct 6) to change the composition of committees.

"In view of this, I will call for a meeting of the House Committee on Thursday (Oct 7) to discuss the matter.

"This is because a motion will have to be tabled to change the composition of the committees this coming Monday (Oct 11)," he said when responding to a question raised by Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

Azhar said members of the bipartisan committees and the respective committees will be made known to the House on Tuesday (Oct 12).

There are a total of nine Special Select Committees which cover matters such as the Constitution, education, the economy, health, science, women, children and foreign affairs.

Earlier, Teo informed Azhar that there were repeat answers given by Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin and his deputy on two separate occasions in the Dewan Rakyat on the intake of 18,000 new teachers.

"The same identical answer was given to the same question.

"There are other questions I raised which are important such as sexual harassment but (they were) not answered.

"Is the ministry choosing to answer a particular question twice to avoid responding to tougher questions?" she said.

Teo, a former deputy education minister, also informed Azhar that Parliament's Special Committee on education has yet to meet.

Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut) also complained that she was given general information in answer to her question despite an assurance that a more detailed response would follow in writing.

Azhar said he would look into the issues raised by Teo and Yeoh.