PETALING JAYA: Various measures for the transformation of Parliament were carried out during Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun’s term as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
In an Instagram post on Friday (Dec 16), Parlimen Malaysia noted that these steps included allocating equal and fair time to Members of Parliament from the government and Opposition bloc when participating in debate sessions.
In addition, the empowerment of Special Select Committees was constantly fine-tuned to improve the functions of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
At an earlier event, Azhar had said these committees played a very important role as checks-and-balances in the national administration, as they consisted of representatives from both the government and Opposition.
“The establishment of the committees in the Dewan Rakyat started with six in 2018 and it has now been increased to 11,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Se-Malaysia Parliament and State Legislative Assembly Speakers' Conference 2022 in Langkawi on Sept 11.
At the conference, Azhar also shared his views on developing the special committees as an important instrument with the power to summon ministers, civil servants or any party.
Azhar, better known as Art Harun, left his law practice in September 2018 after then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad appointed him Election Commission (EC) chairman.
He resigned as EC chairman in July 2020 and was subsequently appointed Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
His appointment as Speaker was unopposed, with his predecessor Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof asked to vacate the post.
On Dec 2, Azhar said he would step down as Speaker at the stroke of midnight on Sunday (Dec 18).
He was feted at a special ceremony dubbed Sekalung Budi Sejuta Memori, organised by the Malaysian Parliamentary Sports and Welfare Club, on Friday (Dec 16).
It was also attended by Malaysian Parliament chief administrator Datuk Nor Yahati Awang, divisional secretaries and MPs.
Parliament will reconvene for two days on Monday and Tuesday (Dec 19 and 20), with the first item on the agenda being to elect a new Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
This will be followed by the swearing-in of MPs and the election of a Deputy Speaker.
The meeting will also see a motion of confidence towards Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's government in the Dewan Rakyat.
