Reforms will create confidence

Vital: A seminar on parliamentary reforms held earlier this month. Establishing parliamentary committees to monitor Cabinet ministers and keep them accountable helps to provide the checks and balances needed to make Malaysia a respectable democracy. — Bernama

MALAYSIA enters 2019 with expectations the country will move forward to correct the mistakes of the past and implement reforms to introduce integrity, transparency and accountability among the institutions of government. It’s important that the institutions provide checks and balances among the legislative, executive, judicial and administrative branches of government to make Malaysia a respectable democracy.

The highest institutions for law and order in the country are parliament and the judiciary. Parlia­ment will soon establish standing and select committees as announced by the Speaker of Dewan Rakyat recently. The committees will monitor closely the functions of the Cabinet ministers and the execution of their powers and make them accountable for their actions.