Parliamentarians & Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Implementing SDGs: In 57 Parliamentary Constituencies (Between 2020 and 2022) during the 14th Parliamentary Session

Abstract

Parliamentarians in Malaysia have been very active in localising Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at the constituency level since the establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG). Between October 2019 (when the APPGM-SDG was established) and October 10, 2022 (when the Parliament was dissolved), the 14th Parliament launched a truly bipartisan initiative. It is a significant establishment of a formal structure and mechanism for engagement between parliamentarians and non-parliamentarians. It was the first of the APPGMs and remained very active in the 14th parliament. This article reviews these three years noting achievements, challenges, and the way forward for the 15th parliamentary session over the next four to five years. Through the localisation process, we have recognised the importance of partnerships between parliamentarians, civil society activists, and academicians from universities and policy think tank groups. This partnership has a direct impact at both the grassroots at the micro level through SDG micro solution projects and policy advocacy on the macro national and cross-cutting concerns. Both dimensions have good scope for citizens’ participation in grassroots decentralised delivery of services on the one hand, as well as macro national level policy formulation. This process has definitive lessons for the global community.