Visit by the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Malaysia
From March 10 to 13, 2019, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to Malaysia. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Larry W. Smith, Senator and the Honourable Marty Deacon, Senator. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Stuart Barnable, Chief of Staff to the Speaker, and Ms. Evelyne Côté, Secretary to the delegation.
The delegates met with the following officials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
- His Excellency Tan Sri Dato’ Seri SA Vigneswaran, President of the Senate;
- His Excellency Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof, Speaker of the House of Representatives;
- The Honourable Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department;
- The Honourable Dr. Mazslee Malik, Minister of Education; and
- The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, M.P.
The delegates had the privilege of witnessing the Opening Ceremony of the Second Session of the Fourteenth Parliament. Furthermore, Speaker Furey presented the keynote address at the Second Roundtable Session on Malaysian Senate reform in Port Dickson and following the address, all Canadian delegates were invited to participate in a Q and A Session. The roundtable also offered the delegates the opportunity to meet and converse with federal and state parliamentarians.
The purpose of the visit to Malaysia was to offer some insight into the Canadian experience on Senate reform, contribute to good public governance through the sharing of information and the exchange of best practices, strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, and promote democratic values and Canadian interests. The visit also provided an occasion to discuss issues related to educational cooperation and opportunities between the two countries. Lastly, the delegation had the chance to delve into the recent transformation in the Malaysian political landscape with the Canadian High Commissioner and senior officials to better understand the current situation.
The report will be available once it has been tabled in the Senate.