MP SPEAKS | The last day of Parliament saw the announcement of the much-awaited establishment of eight parliamentary select committees (PSC); key entities in a fully functioning parliamentary democracy.

However, we are disappointed to note the absence of the Special Select Committee On Gender Equality And Family Development, which clearly should be considered a frontline select committee.

Groups such as the elderly, whose interests are discussed by the PSC, are particularly vulnerable. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, these vulnerable groups are even more exposed.

A report published this month by both United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) titled "Families on the Edge" looked at 500 families, including 20 percent of which are female heads of households in PPRs in KL, to determine the impacts of the movement control order (MCO) implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report showed that women and children are...