CPA MALAYSIA CHAIRPERSON ELECTION TO BE HELD SOON

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- The election for the chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Malaysia Branch will be held soon to fill the position, which has been vacant for two years, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said the election would take place during the annual general meeting after the ongoing financial audit of CPA Malaysia is completed.

"Regarding the government-allocated grant for CPA Malaysia, once the meeting is held, the CPA Malaysia branch can raise the matter with the government to seek its views and request an increase in the allocated funds.

"More importantly, it is about CPA Malaysia’s activities. We have the Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) and Parliamentarians for Global Action," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Senator Pele Peter Tinggom.

 Kulasegaran said the government has allocated an annual grant of RM200,000 to organise CPA activities within the country or to participate in CPA events abroad, including the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, which brings together parliamentarians from member countries to exchange views and best practices on parliamentary systems.

"It is hoped that Malaysia’s active and continuous involvement in CPA’s annual activities, as well as the organisation of CPA Malaysia Branch programmes using the annual grant, will further strengthen Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy system," he said.

On CPA Malaysia’s activities over the past two years, he said the President of the Dewan Negara led Malaysia’s delegation to the CPA Conference in Sydney from Nov 3 to 8, 2024.

Malaysia also hosted the CPA Advanced Parliamentary Development Residency Programme in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 23 to 27 last year.

-- BERNAMA