KUALA LUMPUR: With the Dewan Rakyat set to convene in a week, all attention is now on the sitting and how Perikatan Nasional (PN) aims to fulfil its pledge to be an "effective opposition" in the august house.
Last month, PN announced it would form a shadow cabinet to serve as a check and balance to the federal government.
Experts believe the idea should be lauded, but said the concept of shadow cabinets, while not new in Malaysia, had so far failed to meet its objectives.
They believe the change in government offered a blank slate that can be harnessed to further improve democratic independence in Malaysia.
A shadow cabinet, usually led by the opposition leader, comprises opposition members of parliament who are assigned portfolios that mirror the real cabinet.
It lacks executive power, but the shadow cabinet serves as a policy watchdog and can propose alternative policies.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who is former minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law), said a shadow cabinet's role was more than simply attacking government policies.
He said the shadow cabinet was an opportunity for the opposition to propose alternative policies and ideas to counter those of the administration as part of a mature democracy.
He said attempts by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) to set up shadow cabinets failed because the opposition opted to work in a silo back then.
He said this time, PN's shadow cabinet must keep the Dewan Rakyat speaker in the loop to remain relevant in Parliament.
"Once a shadow cabinet is created, PN should give the list to the speaker and request him to circulate it among members of parliament. This will allow the speaker to prioritise shadow cabinet members during parliamentary debates on their portfolios.
"PN must make sure they assign those with the right expertise to the right portfolio. The key is to give constructive criticism on policies, not on a person or party.
"This was BN's shortcoming when it formed the shadow cabinet after the 14th General Election in 2018. The speaker was not notified about the exercise and the idea died out," he told the New Straits Times.
Malaysia's first shadow cabinet was formed by BN in September 2018. Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the then opposition leader.
Members of parliament who were part of the then shadow cabinet included Khairy Jamaluddin as shadow finance minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as shadow defence minister and Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican as shadow foreign minister.
Despite BN's pledge to roll out initiatives such as a shadow budget, they never came to light.
Observers said the then opposition spent more time debating existing policies rather than proposing alternatives.
Wan Junaidi said shadow cabinet members should only comment on matters related to their portfolio and should avoid political bickering during parliamentary debates to be effective agents of check and balance.
He said the previous administration led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had taken a step forward by granting minister-level status to Anwar, as the then opposition leader, to signal his readiness to cooperate with the opposition.
In May 2021, the then opposition PH established nine committees to address issues of the day, but did not form a shadow cabinet.
The committees were on education, health, economy, security, gender, youth, cost of living, law and mobilisation.
Wan Junaidi urged Anwar to emulate Ismail Sabri.
"I am confident that Anwar, driven by his reformist aspirations, will be receptive to constructive ideas put forward by the shadow cabinet," he said.
Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod said former ministers from PN should be included in the shadow cabinet as they had a better understanding of how ministries work.
He said the United Kingdom had one of the best shadow cabinet models, which Malaysia should consider adopting.
"Shadow cabinets in the UK focus on dealing with issues head on and minimise political bickering or personal attacks during debates.
"PN should take a leaf from the British book. Shadow cabinet representatives must keep abreast with new developments related to their portfolio and make constructive suggestions to better the government's policies."
Pas information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin had said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who was named opposition leader, will unveil PN's shadow cabinet line-up after members of parliament are sworn in.
PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was named chief of PN's lawmakers, while Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang was appointed his deputy.
PN picked Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan as the opposition's chief whip and Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee as his deputy.
