Government forms Committee on Institutional Reforms (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: The Council of Eminent Persons has announced the formation of the Committee on Institutional Reforms aimed to assist the newly-formed Pakatan Harapan government on economic and financial matters.
In a statement, the council also stated that it had appointed five prominent figures, including former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, to sit in the reform committee.
“Economic reform on its own cannot bring the desired change unless accompanied by institutional reforms,” the statement read.
The five persons appointed into the committee were:
1. Retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk K.C. Vohrah
2. Retired Court of Appeal judge and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai
3. Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji
4. National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan
5. Universiti Malaya Law professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi
Members of the committee would present its findings and recommendations on institutional reforms to the council, the statement read.
“The council will then present its report to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” it said.
Vohrah has years of experience in the country’s legal system, having served in the Attorney-General’s Chambers before being appointed as a Court of Appeal judge.
He had also served as the Suhakam commissioner between 2002 and 2008.
Also with vast judicial skills is Mah, who had served as the Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya in 2010 and Judge of the High Court of Malaya in 2011.
He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012 before his retirement in 2015.
Mah, through his present involvement with Suhakam, also chaired an inquiry on the mysterious disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and few others - a case that is still ongoing.
Army veteran Mohamed Arshad was well-known for his fearless stand in voicing out his criticisms against the previous Barisan Nasional government, particularly on issues related to military.
A few months before the 14th General Election, Mohamed Arshad had made a call to members of the armed forces to cast their votes without fear or favour.
Ambiga is well-known for her involvement in championing the civil rights of Malaysians, where her struggles had sometimes landed her in hot water with the authorities under the previous government.
Ambiga rose to prominence following her involvement with non-governmental organisation Bersih, which heldseveral rallies which saw the participation of thousands of Malaysians calling for electoral reform.
Dubbed a constitutional expert, Shad Saleem had served in various universities throughout his career, including in Universiti Teknologi Mara and the International Islamic University Malaysia.
At the national level, he has been called upon on several occasions to draft national legislation.