KUALA LUMPUR: Senator Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff was unanimously elected as Dewan Negara Caucus chairman during its first meeting today.
Senator Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah is appointed deputy chairman.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, Mohd Yusmadi said today’s meeting outlined the direction of the caucus as an advisory and consultative body in order to represent the peoples’ concerns and interests more effectively.
He said the objectives of the caucus were in line with the government’s aspiration to strengthen Parliament’s legislative role as an independent body, in ensuring effective check and balance, which is of world-class standards.
“This caucus is also a platform for Dewan Negara further reforms,” he said.
“It is also to facilitate capacity building among fellow senators through various approaches such as training programmes and workshops so that senators and officers at the Dewan Negara can work together to further elevate the status of Dewan Negara,” he added.
Mohd Yusmadi said with the establishment of the caucus, the Dewan Negara Reform Working Committee, also chaired by him, would be dissolved with immediate effect.
“We do not want to have too many committees as the same senators are involved and the caucus is more official and has been approved by the Senate Select Committee,“ he said.
Last Monday saw another milestone in Malaysia’s Parliament history with the formation of the first Dewan Negara Caucus.
The caucus comprises 13 senators namely Mohd Yusmadi, Datuk Mohd Suhaimi, Datuk Paul Igai, Datuk Ismail Yusop, Datuk Razali Idris, Nga Hock Cheh, Datuk Theodore Douglas Lind, Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Datuk Dr S Ananthan, Datuk Lee Tian Sing, Asmak Husin, Raj Munni Sabu and Adrian Lasimbang. — Bernama
