PETALING JAYA: Civil society organizations (CSOs) and human rights advocates have recommended using online platforms to engage Malaysians in order to improve the process of lawmaking in the country.
In a letter addressed to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister was urged to expedite the identification of legislation for amendments and the creation of new laws.
They suggested using online platforms to enable nationwide engagement and to include stakeholders and the public in the discussions.
They also cited Taiwan’s digital democracy process as a model that Malaysia could follow, allowing for broad citizen participation and a fast and fair decision-making process.
The groups pointed out that Taiwan has an online platform for petition filing, and petitions with at least 5,000 signatures are considered for dialogue with relevant ministries to incorporate into policymaking.
They emphasized the need for an ongoing, transparent, and comprehensive feedback mechanism with an all-of-society approach to gather input for proposed legislation or amendments.
Furthermore, the groups urged the government to follow the United Nations standard of open calls for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to CSOs, advocates, and the general public to become members of any working groups or task forces to draft legislation or amendments.
They stressed the importance of including a broad base of individuals in any working group or special project team to ensure a wide range of perspectives are considered in the drafting of legislation.
They also urged for the entire process of drafting legislation to be made accessible online to the public to enhance societal maturity and ownership.
Additionally, the groups noted that the Attorney General’s Chamber (AGC) should not be the sole arbiter of any legislation drafted, and that international conventions ratified by Malaysia should be considered in the drafting process.
The final bill, when tabled in Parliament, should be made available to Members of Parliament at least two weeks prior to being discussed to allow time for consultation.
They also emphasized the need to involve children, young people, women, and the disabled in the legal reform process.
Signatories of the open letter included groups and representatives from the National Early Childhood Intervention Council, The OKU Rights Matter Project, Suhakam, Women’s Aid Organisation, Vanguards4Change, Sisters in Islam, and Association of Women Lawyers.
