Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (commonly referred to as the Backbenchers Club, BNBBC or BBC; Malay: Kelab Ahli Penyokong Barisan Nasional) is a loose caucus of 108 members of the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat, belonging to the governing Barisan Nasional coalition. The term "backbencher" originates from the British Parliament, denoting a Member of Parliament (MP) who is not a member of the Cabinet or is otherwise part of the government through the holding of a post such as Parliamentary Secretary.

Originally the BNBBC was not prominent in Parliamentary affairs. However, in 2005, it drew attention when its then Chairman, Shahrir Abdul Samad, publicly called for the restoration of the Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) so Parliament could be self-sufficient in conducting its own affairs. The backbenchers supported Shahrir, but little was heard further on after the matter blew over. Then in 2006, Shahrir quit as the BNBBC Chair after not receiving support from the backbenchers in voting for a motion brought by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur). ^[1]

At present, the Deputy Chairman Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar is the Acting Chair.