KUALA LUMPUR – With the new Malaysia as its background, the First Meeting of the First Term of the 14th Parliament will create national history when it begins the session on Monday, July 16.
The post 14th General Election meeting is the first after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over government administration held by the Barisan Nasional (BN) for the past 60 years, thus making it the centre of attraction for those political observers within and outside the country.
Many are hoping that the new government can carry out improvements to take Malaysia to a higher level while others are anxious to know how the BN elected representatives will familiarise themselves as the opposition in Parliament.
Forming the government based on a simple majority, PH comprising the PKR, DAP, PPBM and Amanah controls 116 parliamentary seats altogether with 50 seats won by the PKR, DAP (42 seats), PPBM (13 seats) and Amanah (11 seats).
The PH also receives the support of the Sabah local party namely Warisan which won eight Parliamentary seats raising the total held by PH to 124 seats.
Meanwhile, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) which was established when the PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP left the BN in early June, controls 19 seats in Parliament and the coalition has also expressed its support for PH.
The remaining of the Parliamentary seats are held by the BN which controls 54 seats, comprising 51 held by UMNO, MIC (2) and MCA (1).
PAS holds 18 seats while local Sabah party namely UPKO, PBS, PBRS and Star each holds one Parliamentary seat while the remaining three seats are held by Independent MPs.
Ninety new MPs will make their maiden appearance at the 14th Parliamentary session, besides the reappearance of 11 MPs who had previously served as MPs while 121 MPs managed to defend their seats in the General Election on May 9.
A college student taking up law, P. Prabakaran (PKR-Batu) is not only the youngest MP at the age of 22 but had also erased the record held by Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who was 23 years old when he was elected in 1976.
The first meeting of the 14th Parliament after the general election is scheduled to begin with the election and appointment of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
The post can be held by someone elected from the members of the Dewan Rakyat or non-members who have the qualification. Although the appointment has not been confirmed, the names of two former judges of the Appeals Court namely Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunos are the names rumoured as the candidates for the post.
After the announcement by the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, the oath-taking ceremony for Members of Parliament would begin headed by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other members of the Parliament, and finally the election of two of the government elected representatives as the Deputy Speakers of the Dewan Rakyat.
Dr Mahathir, who returned to active politics after having retired in 2003, had won the Langkawi Parliamentary seat and created history when chosen as Prime Minister for the second time and became Malaysia’s seventh Prime Minister at the age of 93.
The first time he had ruled was for a duration of 22 years from 1981 until 2003 when he became the fourth prime minister.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V will officiate at the simultaneous sitting of the first term of the Parliament and Senate sessions on Tuesday. The first sitting will run for 20 days until Aug 16.
— BERNAMA
