Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has proposed a training centre for MPs in light that some are not familiar with the standing orders and the decorum of the House.

“Some of the lawmakers do not even know what are the standing orders that they should cite whenever they are standing (in Parliament).

"The reason why there is decorum (sic) in the House is because they are not well versed with that. So if they have training, they will be better equipped as a legislator," he said.

Pandikar came out with the suggestion at the three-day 23rd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, which was attended by the delegates from 43 countries.

He said lawmakers should discern when they are politicians and when they are MPs.

"The moment you enter Parliament, you shed that identity of being a politician because the moment you enter the debating chamber, you are already a policy maker, a member of an August House and you are supposed to be a person who knows the subject matter as the representative of your constituency,” Borneo Post quoted him saying.

He claimed attendees of the conference agree that his suggestion in line with the need to develop the intellectual knowledge and capacity of MPs from both sides of the divide.

"I understand that there are certain political parties in Malaysia which provide training for their future leaders and candidates for elections.

“But unfortunately what I found out was that the training was purely for political matters like how do you win votes, how you articulate issues etc," he said.

"We can therefore consider the establishment of a centre or bureau for the training of members of parliament as is being done in India where the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training has been established,” he said.

MPs too 'arrogant' to attend

He cited as example the one-day orientation for new parliamentarians after the 2013 general election, which only saw one opposition lawmaker turning up.

Pandikar condemned the other MPs and state legislators whom he said were too arrogant to attend such events.

He said if his idea is taken up and receives the political parties’ consent, the government should attendance of all MPs compulsory.

Pandikar earlier threatened to resign if his suggestions to reform Parliament is not taken up.

The cabinet has accepted three of his recommendations - a special chamber to look into motions rejected by the speaker, an extension of the seven days' notice on current issues prior to a Parliament sitting and ministerial questions time.