KOTA KINABALU, Jan 12 – Speakers and presiding officers of Parliaments must practise impartiality when serving the August House. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said Speakers need to know when to give due weight to the mandate given to the government of the day to govern in a way that was appropriate.
He said speakers also need to be mindful of the fact that the government should also be made accountable for its actions. He also noted that the voices of the opposition during debate was a process of accountability. Pandikar was presenting his keynote address on the topic titled “The Challenges Facing the Independence of Speakers” during the 23rd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) here Monday.
Speaking on Speakers’ roles in the security of Parliaments and their precincts, Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons Geoff Regan said ensuring the security of Parliaments became more necessary as its roles and that of its Speakers evolved. Echoing his predecessor Andrew Scheer, the newly appointed speaker said the Speakers’ role in protecting the rights and privileges of the House and its members was a priority.
“It was his (Scheer) belief, as it is mine, that the way to ensure a balance between a safe environment and respect for rights and privileges was for the protective personnel to know the people they serve and to remain sensitive and responsive to their unique situation and their expectations,” he added.
