Attending CPA at Tanzania, East Africa

The 55th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Meeting was held at Arusha, Tanzania. I attended this meeting as the representative for Penang State. It was a memorable trip meeting fellow elected representatives from all over the world.

I sat in the public gallery to hear the proceeding of the International Criminal Court for genocide case at Rwanda which was held at Arashu Convention Center, Tanzania.

I also have good exchange of views with the representatives from other countries. It is important to strengten and empower the legislative assembly. Legislative assembly is not a rubber stamp and it should have functional committees to serve as check and balance for the executive. An elected representative should also debate on policy level and not merely as a messenger between the voters and the authorities. Elected reps should not spend too much time on drainage and rubbish issue but instead should highlight it in the budgetary meeting and look for a better solution etc.

A speaker told me he goes to his speaker office every working day and works for the whole day. No wonder some of the legislative assemblies are more active than what we observed in Malaysia.

英聯邦議員協會會議黃漢偉代表檳州出席

　（檳城29日訊）亞依淡州議員兼行政議員黃漢偉將于本月30日（星期三）至10月8日（星期四）代表檳州州議會，前往非洲坦桑尼亞參加第55屆英聯邦議員協會會議(CPA Parliamentary Conference)。

　英聯邦議員協會會議是年度會議，每年都會在不同的英聯邦國家舉行。去年這項會議在吉隆坡舉行，而今年將移師到非洲坦桑尼亞內阿魯沙舉行。

　所有參加者都是來自英聯邦國家的議長，部長或者是國州議員。

　今年的會議主題是 “未來全球挑戰”，在會議的數天裏面，來自世界各地的代表們將會被安排參與小組會議，分享經驗等。

　黃漢偉將參與有關青年與民主政治及議會民主課題的工作營。檳州州議會除了委派黃漢偉出席以外，彭文寶行政議員及議長阿都哈林也將會出席上述會議。

　在這段期間, 黃漢偉位于亞依淡極樂寺山腳7-11便利店樓上選區服務中心(04-828 0926)將照常開放。

　光大53樓行政議員辦公室(04-261 0763)辦公時間為每星期一至五早上9時至下午5時。

Together with Moana, MP from New Zealand. This is our second encounter. We met at Hawaii in year 2008 at the East West Center Seminar.


Together with Mahana, a young MP from Malawi.