The third meeting of the second term of the 15th Parliament is set to begin on Monday (Oct 10) and will have the tabling of the 2024 Budget as its highlight. The tabling of the Supply Bill 2024 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Minister of Finance, is scheduled for 4 pm on Oct 13, according to Parliament’s official website. Anwar has stated that the Health Ministry and the Education Ministry will receive the largest allocations under the 2024 Madani Budget.
Anwar has highlighted that the Health Ministry’s budget will focus on the construction of clinics and finding solutions to the congestion issue in government hospitals nationwide. The Parliament calendar has indicated that the Supply Bill 2024 will be debated at the policy stage from Oct 16 to 26 and at the committee stage from Nov 6 to 27 before approval by the Dewan Rakyat.
Among the Bills to be tabled for the second reading is the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, which is scheduled for Oct 10. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has stated that this Bill represents the Ministry of Health and the Madani government’s continued commitment to protecting public health and safety from the dangers of smoking products. The Bill was first presented to the Dewan Rakyat on June 12 and was referred to the Special Select Committee (JKPK) on Health for assessment and strengthening.
Furthermore, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2023 is also expected to be tabled during this parliamentary session. Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has stated that this decision aligns with the Cabinet meeting’s decision on June 5 to give more power to Sabah and Sarawak in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTP-MA63).
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul hopes that the upcoming session will be filled with high-quality debates and ideas for national development. He emphasized the need for MPs to exhibit good values, as studies have shown that young people are increasingly interested in following parliamentary debates and developments. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
