Revolutionising the senate in Malaysia : lessons from Australia and Canada

• Main Author: Daud, Mahyuddin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: http://www.lexisnexis.com.my/en-my/products/malayan-law-journal.page 2020
• Subjects: K Law (General); KPG Malaysia
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/81254/1/Revolutionising%20the%20Senate%20in%20Malaysia%20Lessons%20from%20Australia%20and%20Canada.PDF; http://irep.iium.edu.my/81254/

Since its formation in 1959, the Senate has been seen as a less influential House of Parliament. Such perception is not distinct for Malaysia but also commonly found elsewhere. The Senate was designed to enable individuals with extensive professional experience to serve in legislature without contending in general election. It provides balanced and bipartisan insights from House of Representatives through participation from federal, states and special interest groups. With its influence being questioned, Senate’s relevancy continues to be debated. This paper explores two issues. Firstly, it analyses the perception of Senate as an irrelevant House of Parliament where Senators were accused for permitting political aspirations to take precedence above public interest. This led to the second issue where Senate was not independent in exercising its roles. In exploring the above, comparative analysis with Canada and Australia as potential models for benchmarking were made where suggestions are proposed.