ROYAL ADDRESS, TRUMP'S POLICY TOPICS OF FOCUS AT DEWAN RAKYAT THIS WEEK

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- The royal address by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, which was filled with important decrees, messages and reminders, marked the opening of the First Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament, which began on Feb 3.

Sultan Ibrahim made it clear that the government must be firm in curbing the culture of slander and online incitement on social media that could lead to division.

His Majesty also expressed support for the targeted subsidy approach by the MADANI Government, which aims to strengthen the nation’s financial position, and stressed the importance of defending the country's rights and sovereignty, even if it involves something as small as a coral reef in the middle of the ocean.

The motion of thanks for the royal address was brought forth by Paya Besar MP Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah, who also suggested that Malaysia should strengthen and optimise its gold resource management by establishing a holistic and comprehensive National Gold Industry Management Framework.

As of Thursday, 44 lawmakers have participated in the debate on the motion, covering various topics, including the threat of online fraud and cybersecurity concerns.

The first week of the Dewan Rakyat sitting also saw Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressing several important issues through two main questions during the Minister's Question Time, focusing on matters affecting the public, such as electricity tariff, targeted subsidies, and agriculture.

Anwar clarified that the upcoming increase in the utility tariff, which will take effect next July, will only apply to the industries, and 85 per cent of the country’s households will not be affected by this hike.

The Prime Minister also said that the government is expected to announce an increase in the floor price of paddy next week, along with additional subsidies to mitigate the impact on consumers, particularly in relation to rice prices. He also expressed the intention to apply the paddy farming methods used in Sekinchan, Selangor, to other states.

In addition, the introduction of ‘tough’ international relations and economic policies by the United States under President Donald Trump 2.0 was also a focal point for the MPs during the parliamentary debate this week.

Trump’s proposal to forcibly resettle Palestinians outside Gaza also triggered strong reactions from the MPs, with Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul allowing Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan some time to respond to this issue during the Minister’s Question Time.

Mohamad stated that Malaysia firmly rejects any plans that could lead to the forcible relocation of Palestinians, describing such actions as a violation of international law and various United Nations (UN) resolutions.

Meanwhile, Johari also announced that seven bills passed during the Third Session of the 15th Parliament from Oct 14 to Dec 12 last year, have been given royal assent by the King to become Acts of Parliament.

They are now known as the Supply Act 2025 (Budget 2025), the Finance Act  2024; the Measures for Tax Collection, Administration, and Enforcement Act 2024; the Labuan Business Activity Tax (Amendment) (No.2) Act 2024; the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Act 2024; the Communications and Multimedia (Amendment) Act 2024; and the Water Services Industry (Amendment) Act 2024.

According to Parliament’s calendar, this sitting will span 18 days with the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address to take place over seven days, while the winding-up sessions by the relevant ministries are scheduled for Feb 19 to 25.

The tabling and debates on bills and other government matters will take place over the final six days of the meeting starting from Feb 26. The Senate, on the other hand, is scheduled to sit for 13 days, beginning March 3.

-- BERNAMA