Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii
KUCHING (Sept 9): Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr Kelvin Yii has sent a request to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun to request for an increase in the number of Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) members.
The DAP legislator hoped that the Health, Science and Innovation PSSC, headed by him, as well as other PSSC would have more members to reflect the balance and proportion of each party in Parliament as stated in the Parliament Standing Order 82(1).
“This is in view of the need for new selection of members in the PSSC for Health, Science and Innovation after the recent appointment of Sipitang MP Yamani Hafez Musa as the Deputy Finance Minister II, making him part of the executive.
“Members of the PSSC are generally appointed from MPs that are not part of the executive.
“That is why in my opinion this is the best opportunity for us to correct the proportion of the members in this committee and also all other committees to fully reflect the requirements under the specific standing orders,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Yii believed that this would give more opportunities for more MPs to participate effectively in national lawmaking and policymaking processes.
He pointed out that currently his represented by one from DAP, which is part of Pakatan Harapan (PH); two from Umno from Barisan Nasional (BN); one each from Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Pas and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and an independent MP.
This, he said, was not reflective of the proportion in parliament which is PN with 50 MPs (23.4 per cent), BN with 42 (19.6 per cent), GPS with 18 (8.4 per cent), Parti Bersatu Sabah with one (0.5 per cent), PH with 89 (41.6 per cent), Parti Warisan Sabah with eight (3.7 per cent), Pejuang with four (1.9.per cent) and Parti Sarawak Bersatu with two (0.9 per cent).
“That is why I believe the distribution of all the 63 seats in all the nine Parliament Special Select Committees at this moment should be reflective of the ratio.
“I strongly believe adherence to the requirements of the Standing Order will not only allow more MPs to be included into the process of policymaking and lawmaking, but also strengthen bipartisan parliamentary oversight through such committees on the executive which is important for a vibrant parliamentary democracy,” he said.
Dr Yii said currently there are about 154 government backbenchers and opposition lawmakers who can sit on the committees.
He noted that with nine PSSCs, only 61 MPs get to sit in them and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and five other MPs are able to sit only in one or more of the four other standing committees.
Dr Yii said this leaves 88 parliamentarians with no executive, house or committee responsibilities and this should be improved to fully utilise the role of parliamentarians to search for better solutions in laws and policies.
“That is why I hope that the Speaker will adopt such needed reform and put into such important consideration to the Parliament’s Selection Committee to adjust and increase the numbers of MPs in each committee to properly reflect the balance and proportion of each party within the House (Parliament) as stated in the Parliament Standing Order,” he said.