KUALA LUMPUR: The focus of the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Thursday (July 31) is on the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a roadmap that will chart the nation’s five-year development plan from 2026 to 2030.
According to the Order Paper on the official Parliament website, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, is scheduled to table the 13MP at noon, following the Minister’s Question Time and oral question session, which begins at 10am.
After the tabling of the 13MP, the Dewan Rakyat sitting will be adjourned before the debate on the plan begins next Monday and is expected to run for eight days, followed by ministers’ replies over four days starting Aug 18.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the Prime Minister said the 13MP, themed ‘Melakar Semula Pembangunan’, was formulated as a comprehensive development plan focused on ensuring equitable and fair upliftment without sidelining any group.
He said its preparation involved extensive engagement sessions with various stakeholders across sectors, backgrounds and regions, including state governments, to ensure the people’s voices were genuinely reflected in the nation’s future planning.
Meanwhile, issues concerning the protection of rights and progress of the Orang Asli community in the country, as well as the registration process for recipients of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance, are among the matters to be discussed during the Minister’s Question Time.
Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) will ask the Minister of Rural and Regional Development whether the government intends to amend the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134) currently in force to ensure continued protection of rights and advancement of the Orang Asli community.
During the same session, Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) will ask the Finance Minister to explain the registration process and how individuals can qualify and utilise the RM100 allocation under the Sara initiative for all.
Separately, Kalam Salan (PN-Sabak Bernam) wants the Education Minister to clarify the percentage of graduates from the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) who have received their desired placements and the criteria considered in the placement process.
During the oral question session, Yuneswaran Ramaraj (PH-Segamat) will ask the Minister of Housing and Local Government to provide the number of recipients by state and the categories of non-Muslim places of worship receiving allocations under the RM50 million maintenance and repair fund for the years 2024 and 2025.
Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki (PN-Parit Buntar) will ask the Human Resources Minister about the government’s concrete measures to address the shortage of about 10,000 engineers and artificial intelligence (AI) experts in Malaysia.
The current Dewan Rakyat sitting runs for 24 days until Aug 28. - Bernama
