The Parliamentary rules of procedure of the Parliament have been passed, with changed to hold debate on the bills a day after the first reading of the bill. Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdullah noted that the rule will make sure that no sittings of the parliament are cancelled due to lack of work.
Previously, the rules of the Parliament states that the debate on a bill can be held three days after the first reading. Hence, the earliest a debate can commence on a bill is in three days, which sometimes lead to cancellation of parliament sittings due to lack of scheduled work.
In an interview with PSM News, Speaker Abdul Raheem said that the purpose of the change in the rules of procedure is to ensure that there is work to be done during the Parliament sitting after a bill is sent to the committee for consideration. Stating that the Parliament should be a place that is accepted, trusted and respected by the people, Abdul Raheem noted that necessary steps are being taken to make the Parliament more respected.