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In a statement, the group of prominent retired civil servants urged MPs elected in GE15 to use the PSCs to scrutinise ministries’ operations, their implementation of policies, and their spending of government allocations.
G25 also called for the PSCs that oversee ministries and civil servants to be given the power to subpoena anyone they believe can help shed light on the matters under scrutiny.
“The press should be present in these PSC proceedings so that they can report how these PSCs are performing their duties to protect public interests,” said the group.
G25 also called for Parliament to be equipped with professional staff and budgetary resources so as to provide advisory support to the MPs serving in the PSCs, which would help them carry out their oversight responsibilities effectively.
The group cited the UK and the US as examples of how parliamentary and congressional committees were assisted by in-house professional staff to provide information and carry out research.
With this assistance, committee members could gain a better understanding of the issues at hand and be able to ask pertinent questions when they summon ministers and civil servants to appear before them.
“If the parliamentary staff does not have the specialised knowledge on a particular issue, the select committees may employ professional advisers from consultancy firms to assist in the committee sessions,” added the group.
G25 also suggested that PSCs be proactive in proposing legislative changes, including drafting the text of bills to amend existing laws or introduce new ones.
Legal assistance should be provided to these committees in order to aid them in drafting bills to be presented to the Dewan Rakyat for debate and voting.
The group also called for a PSC to be formed to oversee the salaries, perks and privileges of Cabinet members and their political appointees, citing the current “bloated” Cabinet as a reason for their suggestion.
It also called for a proportional representation system to be implemented in Parliament, which would ensure that even “minority voices” in the country could be heard and taken into consideration when formulating government policies.
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