Parliament In Focus: Doctor Absenteeism, AUKU Replacement Bill Take Center Stage

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8  – Addressing the non-reporting of medical officers in Sabah and Sarawak, along with progress updates on a new bill to replace the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU), are among the primary matters scheduled for debate in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

According to the Order Paper on the official Parliament website, Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) will question the Health Minister during Question Time regarding the exact number of medical officers who failed to report for duty following Wednesday’s deadline, including underlying reasons and mitigation measures.

The parliamentary sitting will also cover higher education reforms, financial regulatory frameworks, digital talent initiatives, and legislative amendments.

Key Order Paper Questions and Parliamentary Agendas

Key topics raised during Thursday’s oral question-and-answer session include:

• AUKU Replacement Legislation: Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu (PH-Batu Gajah) will ask the Higher Education Minister for status updates on drafting the new bill replacing AUKU 1971 and the government’s timeline for tabling it in Parliament by December.
• Financial Regulatory Jurisdictions: Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) will seek clarification from the Finance Minister regarding jurisdictional boundaries between Securities Commission Malaysia and other regulatory bodies to eliminate functional and enforcement overlaps.
• Digital Literacy & AI Talent: Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) will inquire about the Digital Ministry’s progress in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) competencies and its strategic roadmap for building high-skilled digital talent.

Legislative Proceedings

Following Question Time, the Dewan Rakyat will proceed to the second reading of two key pieces of legislation:

• Food (Amendment) Bill 2026: Presented by the Health Minister.
• Courts of Judicature (Amendment) Bill 2026: Presented by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

The Third Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament, which opened on October 5, 2026, is scheduled to run across 37 sitting days until December 8.

–NMT