KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Negara meeting was adjourned sine die today after 12 days of sitting since November 27.
During the meeting, the senate passed the Supply Bill 2024, the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, the Finance Bill (No. 2) 2023, the Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Food (Amendment) Bill 2023.
Also passed were the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2023, the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the National Water Services Commission (Amendment) Bill 2023.
The meeting also saw the approval of three motions, namely to condemn Israel’s atrocities against Palestine, a white paper proposal for the progressive wage policy and to establish three special select committees of the senate.
They comprise the Special Select Committee on Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption, the Special Select Committee on Law Review and the Special Select Committee on Social and Community Affairs.
The meeting also witnessed four new senators taking their oath of office with two of them appointed as members of the administration following the cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on December 12.
They are Employees’ Provident Fund chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and the former dean of the Faculty of Shariah and Law at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Zulkifli Hasan, who were respectively appointed as finance minister II and deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs).
The other two senators sworn in were Tebrau Umno chief Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s Murum chief Michael Mujah Lihan.
The Dewan Negara conference was adjourned to a date to be determined later. – December 14, 2023