PETALING JAYA: Expectations are high of the soon-to-be appointed Dewan Negara president to be an exemplary leader who plays an effective role in improving the quality of Senate sittings, say politicians and analysts.
Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said the new Dewan Negara head should be respected and not be seen as a rubber stamp for the government of the day.
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“My expectation of the new Senate president is that the person should have integrity, experience and wisdom, as the former Senate president Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the current Sarawak governor, has,” he said.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan said Wan Junaidi set a high bar and his successor has big shoes to fill.
“He was very articulate and passionate about parliamentary reforms, especially in the Dewan Negara,” he added.
Azmi said there is a perception that the Dewan Negara is merely a rubber stamp of the Lower House or Dewan Rakyat.
“But this stigma can change and it depends on the president and senators themselves,” he said.
Senators, who are appointed by political parties, he added, should be more articulate in their debates and should not come across as making speeches in the Dewan Rakyat.
“This can start with the president himself and be followed through by the senators,” he said.
Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood of International Islamic University Malaysia said Senate debates should be above politics.
“Representatives should always emphasise the interests of the state they represent and be more objective, and avoid debating along party lines.
“The interest of the country and the people is paramount,” he said.
Prof Nik Ahmad Kamal said the Senate president has his own constitutional role, and the way he or she carries themselves will be a reflection of the senate’s character.
“The president’s way of doing business in the senate determines what kind of senate we will have,” he said.
Nik Ahmad Kamal also said the next Dewan Negara president will be a political decision.
“In light of giving Borneo an essential position in Parliament, it is appropriate to maintain the Gabungan Parti Sarawak representation,” he said, referring to Wan Junaidi’s party.
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the Dewan Negara has a role in upholding policies tabled at the Lower House.
“Checks and balances by the Upper House are important to make sure that the role is done with integrity,” he said.
The political expert also said the candidate for Dewan Negara president may be decided based on allocations to parties under the government.
