KUCHING: The vision to reform parliament including the implementation of a code ethics for MPs needs the support of the Prime Minister, law minister and the departments involved, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
A Parliamentary Services Act and the code of ethics for MPs which Wan Junaidi intends to introduce is important as other countries such as Canada, India, Australia and New Zealand also have certain codes of ethics.
He said Malaysia needs to come up with its own law and rules and enact it like Australia, India, New Zealand and Canada.
“Being the former minister of law, and (as a) person interested in parliamentary reform all these years, I have been talking about the transformation of parliament long before the people began shouting and yelling about it.
“My vision started a long time ago (to reintroduce the Parliamentary Services Act) hence, if we want to achieve these I need the support of the Prime Minister and the law minister to get all these things brought to Parliament,” he told New Sarawak Tribune on Tuesday (June 20).
He said he would focus on reintroducing the Parliamentary Services Act, amending the Houses of Parliament (Privilege and Powers) Act 1952 or introducing new Privileges and Powers Act as well as to amend the Standing Orders and Rules of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara to strengthen the role of committees in Parliament in an effort to transform the institution.
Wan Junaidi was sworn-in as the 19th President of the Senate on June 19, replacing Tan Sri Rais Yatim, whose tenure ended on June 16.
