Malaysia's Parliament Kicks Off Fifth Session with Royal Message

Today marks the commencement of the Fifth Session of Malaysia's 15th Parliament, highlighted by a Royal Address from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, at the opening ceremony. His Majesty will address both houses—the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara—emphasizing pivotal national agendas.

Key topics of discussion are anticipated to include national development, public welfare, and economic issues, all aligned with the initiation of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), a five-year development strategy that will guide initiatives from now until 2030.

The opening ceremony will be live-streamed starting at 10 a.m. across official media channels, local television, and online platforms.

Before delivering the Royal Address at the Dewan Rakyat, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong will inspect a Royal Guard of Honour from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, stationed at Sungai Besi Camp.

Attendees will include Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, along with cabinet members and heads of foreign delegations.

According to the official Parliament calendar, the Dewan Rakyat will commence its 20-day session with a Motion of Thanks on the Royal Address, followed by a weeklong debate beginning January 20. The final week of the session, from February 4 to 10, will see closing speeches from relevant ministers, while the last six days, starting February 23, will focus on bills and government business.

Parliament will observe a break on February 2 and 3 for Federal Territories Day and Thaipusam, and from February 16 to 19 for Chinese New Year and early Ramadan celebrations.

Post this, the Dewan Negara will commence with 13 days of sessions starting February 23.

Among the significant legislative proposals anticipated during this Dewan Rakyat session are bills aimed at capping the Prime Minister's term to a maximum of 10 years or two full terms, alongside a bill to delineate the roles of the Public Prosecutor and the Attorney General. These initiatives are part of the institutional reforms declared by the Prime Minister on January 5.

Additional notable bills include the Ombudsman Bill 2025 and the Freedom of Information Bill. This session will also reassess the second reading of the International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation Bill 2025 and the Urban Renewal Bill 2025, which were previously postponed.