After several Parliamentary House Committee meetings were held in this sitting, which were all chaired by the Speaker himself, it came as a surprise that the MP for Bintulu particularly disagreed with reviving a committee for women, children and social and suggested that they be parked under the Select Committee of Civil Liberties and Constitutional Rights. This was strongly protested by Alice Lau MP for Lanang but received no further opposition by the rest of the Perikatan Nasional MPs in the committee, namely MP for Arau and MP for Kuala Krai. MP for Masjid Tanah was absent for the meeting.
As Government, in the past, Pakatan Harapan moved to form special select committees in the Parliament which was void by the BN Government before it and for 22 months saw the formation of 10 special select committees in total. Under the leadership of Tan Sri Mohd Ariff, the former Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, a special select committee was set up entitled “Gender Equality and Family Development” amongst others.
However, after the change in regime, there was no special select committee for women, children and social development set up with the initial 8. Alice Lau, being a second term MP for Lanang stressed on the need and importance for the committee to be set up immediately and lobbied for it but to no avail. The decision was to shelf it for the future.
This is truly a regressive step on institutional reforms in Parliament as all matters of national interest encircles the rights of women, children and social development.
Why is it so important for this committee to be set up now, and not to be shelved for months to come is to ensure the welfare and rights of women and children are addressed, upheld and defended – and particularly at this time to safeguard a healthy check and balance on Government policies and expenditure as well, primarily now in this time of uncertainty as we face this COVID19 pandemic.
All functioning Parliaments around the world have a committee or committees to look into matters of gender, women, children and social development. And Malaysia cannot follow the path of those that don’t have.
After subsequent discussions and persuasions amongst us and together with the MP for Petaling Jaya Maria Chin Abdullah, a letter signed by Alice Lau MP for Lanang was sent to the Speaker on Thursday 27th August urging the Speaker to be partial and without any delay, set up the committee for women, children and social development.
He promptly responded with a letter dated 28th August 2020 to state his support and urge the other committee members to support the establishment of the special select committee on women, children and social development.
Now the ball is in the court of MPs from Perikatan Nasional, namely Bintulu, Arau, Masjid Tanah, and Kuala Krai to put the agenda of women and children as a natural agenda and not to object to the setting up of this committee. We call for their undivided support in setting this committee up with no delay.