KUALA LUMPUR: The attendance of ministers and deputy ministers throughout the Senate proceedings will be recorded by the Dewan Negara secretary, says Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim.
The move was in accordance with Article 43 (3) of the Federal Constitution, he said.
He said this was also being done as a show of collective responsibility of the Cabinet to Parliament.
“This matter has never been mentioned before, but it is important for the Upper House to record it as a responsibility,” he said.
Rais also reminded the four Senate members who were appointed as ministers and two as deputy ministers not to forget their role in the Upper House.
On Dec 3, four new senators were sworn in at the Dewan Negara following their appointment as ministers.
They were Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz who was appointed International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir (Foreign Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar (Religious Affairs) and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Home Affairs).
As for Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh and Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister K. Saraswathy, they took their oath as senators on Dec 10.
On behalf of Dewan Negara, Rais also conveyed condolences to the victims affected by the tragic landslide at Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali on Dec 16, and sympathies to flood victims nationwide.
The Dewan Negara later passed the mini budget for government expenditure totalling RM107.72bil. — Bernama
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