KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 3): The 15th Parliament of Malaysia has officially entered its fourth session following the opening by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, on Monday.
According to the official Parliament website, this sitting will run from Feb 3 to Mac 6, lasting for 18 days.
The sitting was kicked off by a royal address by Sultan Ibrahim, his second address to the Malaysian Parliament since he was sworn in on Jan 31 last year. Members of Parliament are scheduled to debate it over seven days, from Tuesday until Feb 18. Ministers will then wind up the debate session from Feb 19 to 25.
In the final six days of this sitting, the lower house will focus on debates on bills and other government matters.
One of the bills expected to be tabled for the first reading is the long-awaited Parliamentary Services (Amendment) Bill, which grants Parliament independence in managing its affairs, staff selection, and expenditure control.
“It’s mentioned (in the backbenchers’ pre-council meeting). Yes, it will be tabled in this sitting,” Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament (MP) Lee Chean Chung told The Edge. Notably, the bill would need a two-thirds majority to pass, as it involves a constitutional amendment.
There will be several bills to be tabled for their second reading, including the Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024, and the Bernama (Amendment) Bill 2024.
Notably, the highly contentious Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 will once again seek passage from the house, after the vote that was supposed to take place in the last sitting was postponed and referred to the parliamentary select committee, following pushback from MPs across the aisle.
The bill proposes changes to enhance the governance and operations of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country’s internet regulator. Key amendments include separating the roles of the MCMC chairman and chief executive officer, and expanding the commission’s functions.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024, which seeks to establish a media council to develop and enforce a code of ethics for journalism, is also set for its second reading and debate.
Civil society organisations have raised concerns about the bill, particularly regarding the inclusion of two government representatives on the board of directors, and the requirement for ministerial approval when receiving grants from foreign entities.
Additionally, the Economy Ministry is expected to table the White Paper on the Ageing Nation Agenda in the Dewan Rakyat. This paper will outline medium- and long-term socio-economic development plans as Malaysia approaches the “ageing nation” status by 2030, and “aged nation” status by 2044.
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