UK Parliament Speaker Calls For Continued Parliamentary Dialogue With Malaysia

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Speaker of the United Kingdom (UK) House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle has called for continued dialogue and cooperation with the Malaysian Parliament, emphasising its importance in strengthening legislative relations between the two countries. 

He highlighted the role of inter-parliamentary cooperation in fostering transparency and democratic governance, particularly through the exchange of best practices between Malaysia and the UK, which shared a deep historical and diplomatic connections. 

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“What can we share? What information? What is the power of the select committee in the UK and what can be achieved through them? So having that discussion was very important to me,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.

Citing Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) which was modelled after the UK’s Parliamentary practice, he said that the PMQs is a crucial mechanism for government accountability, as it allows backbenchers to directly question the Prime Minister on matters affecting their constituents.

“Some people say, ‘Oh, it’s 30 minutes of theatre.’ It may be 30 minutes of theatre.

“But what I would say is, that it's about a chance for a backbench MP (Member of Parliament) to ask an important question about the constituency directly to the Prime Minister. And to me, that is all about accountability,” he said. 

On the broader issue of democracy within the Commonwealth, Hoyle emphasised on the importance of supporting struggling democracies and ensuring parliamentary institutions remain strong. 

“What we've got to watch for is people giving up on democracy because it is a difficult thing, and that's why the Commonwealth can play an important part,” he said, noting that trade, education, and sports, particularly the Commonwealth Games, also serve as crucial areas of collaboration.

He also addressed the importance of engaging young people in the democratic process, highlighting the role of youth parliaments as platforms for the next generation of leaders. 

“Democracy is only as good as who is going to take over from us. And that's about engaging with young people, working with young people, and ensuring that they enshrine democracy as well,” he said.

Hoyle was in Malaysia for a four-day visit since Monday at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Dewan Rakyat’s Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul. 

The visit was aimed at deepening ties between the two parliaments and fostering deeper cooperation between the two nations in governance and democratic development.

-- BERNAMA