Special Select Committees easing partisan tensions in Dewan Rakyat

New Straits Times

16-07-2025

PETALING JAYA: The formation of parliamentary special select committees comprising members from both the government and opposition can help ease tensions between the two sides in the Lower House.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said bipartisan participation in the 10 special select committees promotes greater collaboration and mutual respect among lawmakers, while enabling issues to be discussed constructively.
"Previously, we had only one café where, after a 'tough fight' in the Dewan Rakyat, we would gather for a teh tarik session.
"Unfortunately, that no longer happens and I'm very disappointed. Some people (MPs) refuse to join in, even after debating in the Dewan Rakyat, and they tend to take things too personally.
"Now, we have established 10 parliamentary special select committees, compared to just a few in the past.
"These committees include members from both sides of the divide. When an MP is part of a special select committee, any decision made is a joint one, and it is brought to the Dewan Rakyat as a collective decision.
"Once a decision is made, the MPs cannot later turn around and act as if they disagreed with it — that defeats the purpose.
"The whole idea is to break down the walls between the two sides. Even if we cannot completely tear down those walls, at the very least, we are lowering them enough so they can reach across," he told reporters after launching World Public Relations Day 2025 (WPRD 2025) at SEGi University today.
The 10 special select committees comprise those focused on finance and economy; health; domestic entrepreneurship, cost of living and agriculture; infrastructure, transport and communications; and nation building, ethnicity, education and human resource development.
Also established were committees on women, family and community development; environment, science and plantations; security; international relations and international trade; and human rights, elections and institutional reforms.
Johari added that various seminars were also being held to bring MPs from both sides closer together.
"Previously, it was rare for Parliament to host such events. But now, through the special select committees, we have started organising various seminars and public engagements.
"The goal is to reduce tension, so that MPs understand when they walk into Parliament, they are there not for their party's agenda, but for the people's interests.
"That is what we are trying to do, though it is not easy."
Meanwhile, earlier in his speech, Johari said nation-building begins when the government communicates truthfully, inclusively and with the public's best interests in mind.
He said communication that becomes a one-way monologue — or worse, propaganda — undermines public trust rather than building it.
"Nation-building is not born of slogans; it develops through deliberate communication and consistent engagement.
"Malaysia's story is one of resilience, diversity and aspiration. But this story must be told truthfully, inclusively and powerfully.
"As we take our place as Chair of Asean and the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly 2025, our communications must reflect not only what we stand for, but what we strive to become.
"We must position ourselves not just as a nation among nations, but as a regional voice of unity, sustainability and democratic maturity," he said.
He also called on the public relations and communications sector to play its part, noting that Parliament is a living, breathing entity — a platform to nurture and groom the next generation of thinkers, advocates, leaders and policymakers.
Meanwhile, in a recorded address, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil praised the initiative and highlighted the importance of grooming young communicators with strong ethical grounding and strategic foresight.
"We've seen patterns, trends and channels of communication shift rapidly every year, and it is vital to instil in youth a sense of ethics and
purpose in their communications."
More than 350 students, communications professionals and industry leaders attended WPRD 2025 — a day of knowledge sharing, critical discourse and empowerment of the next generation of communicators.