PM’s term limit: Decision to withdraw bill made unanimously — Saifuddin

0

Saifuddin (fifth left, third back row) in a group photo with the DKD letters of offer recepients at PWTC. Also present at the event are Finas Chief Operating Officer Ahmad Idham Omar (fourth left, third back row). — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s decision to withdraw the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2019 related to the appointment of the Prime Minister was made by the cabinet unanimously, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

“It think it was because of a different philosophy, different government, a different way of looking at certain things,” he said when asked about the reason for the sudden change.

When asked if the decision would affect the government’s reform credentials, Saifuddin said there are many items on the reform agenda and most of them are still on the table.

“There are many items under the reform credentials; we’re still working on many things, for example on the distribution of power between the legislative, executive and judiciary. It is still on the table. On the law reform, I think we are still discussing the formation of the law reform commission.

“Political and democratic reform is still on the table, independence of Parliament, the formation of select committees…,” he said.

He told reporters this after attending a ceremony for the Digital Content Fund (DKD) Letters of Offer and Incentive Feature Film (ITFC) cheque presentations and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Malaysian Board of Technologists (MBOT) here yesterday.

Yesterday the government withdrew the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2019 related to the appointment of the Prime Minister, and the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019 from being tabled for the second reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

The withdrawal was made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan under Clause 62 of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders, after the question-and-answer session this morning.— Bernama