KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 -- Dewan Negara president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran today announced another milestone in the Malaysian Parliament history with the formation of the first Dewan Negara Caucus.

He said the formation of the caucus was unanimously agreed by the Dewan Negara Select Committee.

“I am pleased to announce that the Dewan Negara Select Committee has met on Thursday (Dec 12) and unanimously approved the formation of a Dewan Negara Caucus as reported in the DN2/2019 special statement of the Dewan Negara Select Committee which I have ordered it to be tabled at today's sitting.

“I hope that all members of the caucus can carry out the given mandate well,” he said, soon after the Dewan Negara sitting resumed this morning.

Vigneswaran said the caucus consisted of 13 senators, namely Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff, Datuk Paul Igai, Datuk Ismail Yusop, Datuk Razali Idris, Nga Hock Cheh, Datuk Theodore Douglas Lind, Datuk Ismail Ibrahim and Datuk Dr S. Ananthan.

Other members are Senator Lee Tian Sing, Senator Asmak Husin, Senator Raj Munni Sabu, Senator Adrian Lasimbang and Senator Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusmadi said the first meeting of the Dewan Negara Caucus is expected to be held during this session of Dewan Negara to appoint its chairman.

The formation of this caucus is a result of the proposal made by the Dewan Negara Reform Working Committee to ensure the success of the parliamentary reforms, he added. -- BERNAMA