KOTA KINABALU, Jan 13 - The 23rd Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) here had been a fruitful platform with recommendations that could be adapted to improve the functions of parliaments of the member countries.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, H.E. Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia handing over the flag of Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of The Commonwealth (CSPOC) to the Speaker of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie to host the next conference
Speaker of the House of Representatives, H.E. Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia, who chaired the conference, said these recommendations included the issue of security of parliaments and the need to provide orientation on parliament proceedings to its members (MPs), especially new ones.
"As Speakers, we are tasked with ensuring the security of Parliament.
"However, a balance has to be struck between accessibility of Parliament to the public and overall security of Parliament," he told reporters after the conclusion of the three-day conference here Wednesday.
Pandikar also said consideration was also given to establishing a centre for the training of MPs.
Deputy Speaker of United Kingdom's House of Commons Lyndsay Hoyle stressed that the conference had been an excellent event for the exchange of experiences and knowledge among Speakers and presiding officers.
"Whether it's security and orientation to new members, we have learnt a lot on the experience that have been exchanged.
"But I would never dream of making anything (recommendations) compulsory for members as they do not answer to Speakers, they are answerable to the electorates," he said.
Speaker of New Zealand's House of Representatives David Carter said that as a Speaker, he also felt the need to develop himself to better serve the MPs during parliament proceedings.
Some 187 delegations from 43 Commonwealth nations attended the conference.
Seychelles will host the 24th CSPOC in 2018.
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