SHAH ALAM, 17 Mar: Pakatan Rakyat will be implementing a reform of the Parliament institution and the judiciary body so that the power of Ministers and the Cabinet can be balanced and controlled.
Among the proposed changes are to establish a Constitutional court, to introduce laws on freedom of information and to eliminate laws that gives extraordinary power to cabinet ministers.
This is so that the status of parliament as a law-making body and an observer to policies and powers of executive institutions (cabinet), can be dignified.
These are things that will be done in line with the concept of the Separation of Powers as enshrined under the Federal Constitution.
DAP member of Parliament Chief, Lim Kit Siang said that the reformation is to restore the supremacy and independence of Parliament are accepted concepts adopted and practised by all Parliamentary democracies.
“In the Malaysian system of governance, after over five-and-a-half decades of Umno/Barisan Nasional rule, the Executive branch has usurped power and turned Parliament into a subordinate institution.
“(This) thereby pushes for a government principle that represents the people,” he said in a comment on blog.limkitsiang.com.
Among other reformation measures:
* PR will ensure that elected speaker of parliament shall be a truly independent appointee not beholden to the Executive;
* The Dewan’ s Standing Orders shall be revised with the aim of creating an even playing field for the Executive;
* The Opposition to play their respective roles; the Opposition shall be granted an appropriate allocation of time to debate issues and policies;
* All Bills would be distributed two weeks ahead of the Second Reading with the establishment of Select Committees to permit more careful consideration and permit inputs from the public on proposed legislation;
* The practice of including clauses that empower Ministers and place them above the law shall cease with the objective of restoring the Separation of Powers