NGO to set up Parliament watch group
Suffian Abdul RahmanPublished: Apr 10, 2001 8:42 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The People's Manifesto Initiative, a coalition of 50 NGOs, is planning to form a parliamentary watch committee to monitor the performance of MPs in Parliament.
"Since the aftermath of the general elections, the people's understanding of politics has developed greatly and this accomplishment needs to be sustained and reinforced," said spokesperson Charles Santiago.
"The people have made their choice and now we must make sure that our elected representatives are responsible and accountable to us."
He said that the parliamentary watch group would seek to increase the level of openness by recording the attendance of MPs in Parliament, campaign for live TV coverage of parliamentary debates and provide telephone hotlines so that MPs are more accessible to the public.
"Democracy is not about voting once in five years. It must be kept alive by the direct participation of the people so that they will not be marginalised," said Santiago.
Santiago said that apart from monitoring MPs, the People's Manifesto would educate the public on the process of democracy, and establish a greater network of NGOs to get more people involved.
Meanwhile, former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang called for the formation of an NGO to monitor the performance of MPs in Parliament.
He suggested that the NGO, tentatively named Parliamentary Audit Committee (PAC), should be formed before the Dewan Rakyat meets on Feb 14 to pass the 2000 Budget and other bills.
"PAC will have a multi-purpose objective of providing a check on the MPs and to serve as an institution for reforming our system," he said.
He welcomed the People's Manifesto's initiative for a parliamentary watch group and urged all NGOs to work together in enhancing democracy in Malaysia.
Lim also called for wide-ranging reforms on parliamentary practices and procedures to transform the "19th century" Parliament. He suggested a number areas where the Parliament can be made more accountable to the people.
"We should launch efforts such as live telecasts of parliamentary proceedings, allocate certain days specifically for Opposition issues, elect 10 general Parliamentary Select Committees to produce annual reports on IT, Women's Agenda, environmental issues, the mass media, and end of discrimination between Barisan Nasional and Barisan Alternatif MPs by ensuring that every MP is entitled to annual constituency development funds," he said.
According to him, at present a BN MP receives RM500,000 a year in annual constituency development funds, whereas a state assemblyman receives RM50,000. Opposition MPs and assemblymen, however, are not beneficiaries to such funds.
"Since the aftermath of the general elections, the people's understanding of politics has developed greatly and this accomplishment needs to be sustained and reinforced," said spokesperson Charles Santiago.
"The people have made their choice and now we must make sure that our elected representatives are responsible and accountable to us."
He said that the parliamentary watch group would seek to increase the level of openness by recording the attendance of MPs in Parliament, campaign for live TV coverage of parliamentary debates and provide telephone hotlines so that MPs are more accessible to the public.
"Democracy is not about voting once in five years. It must be kept alive by the direct participation of the people so that they will not be marginalised," said Santiago.
Santiago said that apart from monitoring MPs, the People's Manifesto would educate the public on the process of democracy, and establish a greater network of NGOs to get more people involved.
Meanwhile, former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang called for the formation of an NGO to monitor the performance of MPs in Parliament.
He suggested that the NGO, tentatively named Parliamentary Audit Committee (PAC), should be formed before the Dewan Rakyat meets on Feb 14 to pass the 2000 Budget and other bills.
"PAC will have a multi-purpose objective of providing a check on the MPs and to serve as an institution for reforming our system," he said.
He welcomed the People's Manifesto's initiative for a parliamentary watch group and urged all NGOs to work together in enhancing democracy in Malaysia.
Lim also called for wide-ranging reforms on parliamentary practices and procedures to transform the "19th century" Parliament. He suggested a number areas where the Parliament can be made more accountable to the people.
"We should launch efforts such as live telecasts of parliamentary proceedings, allocate certain days specifically for Opposition issues, elect 10 general Parliamentary Select Committees to produce annual reports on IT, Women's Agenda, environmental issues, the mass media, and end of discrimination between Barisan Nasional and Barisan Alternatif MPs by ensuring that every MP is entitled to annual constituency development funds," he said.
According to him, at present a BN MP receives RM500,000 a year in annual constituency development funds, whereas a state assemblyman receives RM50,000. Opposition MPs and assemblymen, however, are not beneficiaries to such funds.
View Comments0