KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — The Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament concluded its fourth week with spirited debates ranging from fiscal matters to geopolitical issues, as the policy-level debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 wrapped up on Tuesday.
This was followed by the wind-ups by 14 ministries from Wednesday, including the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, the Home Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the Transport Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Department.
According to the Parliament calendar, the policy-stage wind-up for Budget 2026 will last until November 4, before the 14-day committee-level debate from November 5.
During the meeting, MPs highlighted Malaysia’s success in hosting the 47th Asean Summit and Related Meetings from Sunday to Tuesday. The event was hailed as a moment of pride for the nation and a testament to Malaysia’s capability to shoulder its responsibilities as Asean chair.
During Minister’s Question Time (MQT) yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared Malaysia’s achievements at the high-profile summit, emphasising that every meeting with world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, had been fully explored.
Anwar said his engagements with Trump were used to push for a comprehensive solution for Gaza, in addition to discussing various issues and strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation.
He explained that the term “comprehensive solution” or “comprehensive settlement” reflects the need for a lasting and inclusive end to the Gaza genocide, not just a ceasefire that fails to acknowledge the sovereign rights of Palestinians.
“Officially, I raised this issue three times and received media coverage. Meanwhile, in The Beast (Trump’s vehicle), it was a personal one-on-one conversation.
“On all three occasions, I emphasised the need for a comprehensive solution to Gaza and Palestinians’ problems,” he said.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the Malaysia-United States Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) was signed during the Asean Summit to attract investment and strengthen trade ties with the US.
He clarified that the agreement includes an exit clause, and dismissed claims that Malaysia was surrendering its trade sovereignty to the US.
Earlier, during the ministerial briefing session on Wednesday, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz elaborated on the ART, reaffirming Malaysia’s neutrality and its whole-of-government approach to safeguard national interests and sovereignty throughout negotiations.
He stressed that Malaysia’s negotiating team remained firm on key red-line issues, especially Bumiputera rights, government procurement policies, and full equity liberalisation in strategic sectors such as energy and telecommunications.
“This is a matter of national dignity and sovereignty. As Malaysians who love the country, the government will never allow our sovereignty to be violated,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025 was tabled for its first reading. It aims to expand social security protection to employees involved in non-work-related accidents outside working hours.
The Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament runs for 35 days, and will conclude on December 4.
