NOVEMBER 22 — One of Parliament’s main roles is debating and passing laws. Laws passed by Parliament are called Acts of Parliament (Acts). These are either a new Act which creates a new law, an Amendment Act which amends or changes an existing law or a Repeal Act which repeals a law.
In 2024 alone, up-to-date, Parliament has passed 39 Acts — at least 2 new Acts, 35 Amendment Acts and 2 Repeal Acts.
The new Acts are the Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency Act 2024 and Cyber Security Act 2024.
The Amendment Acts include the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2024 which significantly and importantly amend the law on citizenship which, among others, accords equal rights to a child born outside Malaysia whose mother is at the time of the birth a citizen to acquire citizenship by operation of law.
Prior to the amendment, a child born outside Malaysia would only acquire citizenship by operation of law if his father was at the time of the birth a citizen.
Clearly, Parliament has been active in one of its main roles.
In comparison — or as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would say ketimbang — Parliament in 2022 passed 27 Acts, only one of which is a new Act, namely the Housewives’ Social Security Act 2022.
One of the Amendment Acts is the groundbreaking Constitutional (Amendment) (No. 3) Act 2022 which introduces the anti-party hopping law in the country.
As the Madani government turns two, what grade would you give to it as a legislative body?
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
