Speaker mulls tabling harmony reports in Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul is contemplating allowing the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Racial and Religious Harmony to table its reports in the lower house so its recommendations can be debated.

Johari said the move would bring the group’s discussions out of closed-door meetings and into the Dewan Rakyat, enabling MPs and the public to better understand its work.

“I want the public to know what is happening. This has never been done before,” he said at the Simposium Harmoni 2026 here today.

Johari said the Dewan Rakyat, as the “house of democracy”, was the right platform for discussing major national issues rather than limiting such discussions to seminars or academic forums.

“As much as we discuss, debate and invite professors to share their views, the discussions remain confined to meeting rooms.

“But I want to bring this to the Dewan Rakyat because this is the people’s house,” he said.

He said allowing APPGM reports to be tabled would help translate discussions into concrete action and policy.

Johari also stressed the importance of investing in young Malaysians to strengthen national unity, citing initiatives such as the Parliament School, a revamped National Service programme, and reforms to the Youth Parliament.

He said Malaysia’s changing demographics made it increasingly important to ensure the Malay-Muslim majority and minority communities continue to live together harmoniously.

The APPGM on Racial and Religious Harmony is a bipartisan parliamentary group established to promote racial and religious harmony and facilitate discussions on issues affecting national unity.