Asfia calls for revisions to standing orders amid rise of social media

BY NURA V LORNA & NURIN PATANI

KUCHING: Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar has proposed amendments to the standing orders of both Parliament and state assemblies to address modern challenges, particularly the rise of social media.

He stressed the need to maintain parliamentary democracy standards while keeping up with the evolving challenges.

While Sarawak’s standing orders are among the most comprehensive, he said they do not account for phenomena like social media.

“We don’t want disorder in our parliaments or legislative assemblies. We want law and order to be organised, which is why we are proposing amendments to the standing orders.

“Much water has passed under the bridge, and some provisions are outdated. The rise of social media is a new phenomenon that is not covered by the current standing orders,” he told a press conference on the 2024 Conference of Speakers of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies of Malaysia today.

Asfia noted that the social media criticism of parliamentary rulings, speakers, and bills is not addressed in the current standing orders, neither at the national level nor in Sarawak.

As such, he emphasised the importance of discussing these issues with other speakers during the conference to ensure the betterment of parliamentary democracy.

“We need to update how Parliament or the legislative assemblies can face new challenges and phenomena that were not anticipated by those who drafted the standing orders,” he stressed.

Asfia added that criticisms or comments on rulings often proliferate on social media, which may undermine the authority of Parliament or the DUN.

He reiterated that the current situation, position, and conditions require a study for parliamentarians and speakers on how to address these issues.

Meanwhile, on the issue of re-delineation, Asfia confirmed that it will not be discussed during the conference.

“Re-delineation has already been carried out in Sabah, but for Sarawak, it will not be discussed in the agenda of this conference.

“If it is to be discussed, it will only be in the Sarawak DUN,” he said.