The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg has visited the Parliament of Malaysia and the Selangor State Legislative Assembly between 19 and 21 June 2024.

The CPA Secretary-General met with Speaker of the Malaysia House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat), Hon Tan Sri Dato' Johari bin Abdul, MP followed by a tour of the Parliament of Malaysia.

The CPA Secretary-General subsequently met with Hon. Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, MP, the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and the Honorary Secretary of the CPA Malaysia Branch. Dr Ahmad is also a former Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson (2016-2019).

The CPA Secretary-General briefed Members of the CPA Malaysia Branch on the latest activities of the CPA and its work in the CPA South-East Asia Region and also met with Senator Hon. Isaiah Jacob, the Regional Champion for the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network and Senator Hon. Datuk Wira Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, a member of the CPA Interim Executive Board.

Later in the day, the CPA Secretary-General spoke at a panel discussion and Q&A held at the Parliament of Malaysia on ‘The power and purpose of parliamentary diplomacy: Strengthening relations among Commonwealth nations’ alongside the Deputy President of the Senate of Malaysia, Senator Hon. Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed and Hon. Tuan Lee Chuan How, MP.

The event was attended by Parliamentarians, Members of State Legislative Assemblies, High Commissioners, academia and international relations students.

During the discussion, the CPA Secretary-General said:

“If Parliaments are to play a role in diplomacy, it can’t just be left to individuals. It has to be about having an effective, healthy and functioning parliamentary institution. Parliamentary diplomacy, alongside other forms of diplomacy including citizen diplomacy as well as the more traditional government diplomacy, is more important than ever. The CPA’s role in parliamentary diplomacy is about strengthening Parliaments, supporting individual MPs and developing strong international partnerships.”

• Watch: Panel discussion on 'The Power and Purpose of Parliamentary Diplomacy: Strengthening Relations Among Commonwealth Nations' at the Parliament of Malaysia – click on link above or view below

Subsequently, the CPA Secretary-General visited the Selangor State Legislative Assembly where he was received by the Speaker, Hon. Lau Weng San, met with State Members and toured the Parliamentary Chamber.

The CPA Secretary-General was accompanied by Members of the Senate of Malaysia (Dewan Negara).

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:

“I was very pleased to visit the CPA Malaysia and CPA Selangor Branches, during my first visit as Secretary-General. There is a great interest in the Association’s work from the Legislatures of Malaysia, and we are developing further links and opportunities for networking and professional development for Commonwealth Parliamentarians across the country.”

The CPA South-East Asia Region comprises the national Parliaments of Malaysia and Singapore as well as 13 State Legislatures in Malaysia.

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

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