Malaysia’s new parliament: 7 things to look out for

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The first session of Malaysia’s new parliament kicks off on Monday, two months after a historic election result ended 60 years of Barisan Nasional (BN) domination and replaced it with a coalition led by veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad, spelling a new era for the country.

From repealing a fake news bill to pro-Islam protests, here are seven things to look out for in this new parliament.

1. The age gap from youngest to oldest MP is 71 years

Of the 222 members of Malaysia’s new parliament, known as the Dewan Rakyat, 116 belong to the newly ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

A woman waves a Pakatan Harapan coalition flag in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 10, 2018. /VCG Photo

A further 27 MPs belong to a smattering of parties that have expressed support for PH.

BN has 54 seats, while the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has 18.

Completing the total are seven independent deputies or deputies from smaller parties.

Ninety are first-time deputies. Thirty-one are women.

The youngest, P. Prabakaran, is 22 and a law student. The oldest is Prime Minister Mahathir, who just turned 93 this week.

2. The first session will run for 20 days

The Dewan Rakyat will first meet over four weeks, from July 16 to August 16.

Its full term will be five years.

School children greet Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at the presidential palace in Bogor, Indonesia, June 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

3. First order of business: Getting sworn in

The deputies’ first task will be to elect a parliamentary speaker.

On Sunday, Mahathir confirmed former Court of Appeal judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof as his candidate, national news agency Bernama reported.

After he is appointed, the new Dewan Rakyat speaker will take an oath, after which the deputies will be sworn in, beginning with Mahathir and his cabinet.

On Saturday, the media got a peek at preparations for the new parliament at a full-dress rehearsal. The seating arrangement for the new assembly has not yet been finalized, however, in part due to some MPs changing allegiance post-election, according to parliamentary secretary Roosme Hamzah.

4. MPs will need to learn fast

Ninety MPs are new to the job and will need to learn the ropes quickly.

Civil servants attend the first assembly of newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya, Malaysia, May 21, 2018. /VCG Photo

PH deputies will meanwhile find themselves in a position of power for the first time.

But perhaps more painfully, BN lawmakers will have to come to terms with now being in the opposition, having been on the ruling side since Malaysia's independence in 1957.

5. Reform is on the agenda

Parliamentary reform was a top PH campaign promise, after years of perceived abuse by BN and its allies.

Bodies like the Election Commission, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judicial Appointments Commission – all closely controlled by the prime minister in the past – are now to answer to parliament instead.

A view of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, July 3, 2018. /VCG Photo

There are also plans to set up more parliamentary committees to provide checks and balances on the government’s work, and to hold a 30-minute Question Time once a week.

Experts have called for MPs to get more time to debate bills before they are passed.

PH also wants to reintroduce the Parliamentary Services Act, repealed in 1992, which gave parliament more autonomy and protected MPs’ freedom of speech.

6. Fake news bill needs to go

Several controversial bills face the chop.

A flyer is seen laying on the ground after a protest in Kuala Lumpur, July 4, 2018. /VCG Photo.

At its first meeting, the government is expected to table several motions abolishing, among others, a controversial Fake News Bill, passed in April, that threatens stiff fines for anyone found guilty of creating "fake news," and a Goods and Services Tax, whose unpopularity helped oust BN from office.

PH has also vowed to get rid of the Sedition Act, which critics say has been used to silence journalists and opposition politicians, as well as a Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, which allows detention without trial.

7. Expect some noise

Protests are already planned on the first day of this new parliament, according to the daily The Star, including by taxi drivers, angry about new e-hailing regulations.

Pemantau Malaysia Baru, a group close to now-opposition party UMNO is also expected to rally in defense of Islam and the rights of majority ethnic Malays.

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