On Friday February 7, Tajik Foreign Minister Siojiddin Murhriddin met with Mr. Mohamad Ariff Md. Yusof, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Parliament of Malaysia, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

In the course of the talks, the parties reportedly discussed issues related to parliamentary cooperation between Tajikistan and Malaysia, including the creation of Parliamentary Friendship Groups between the two countries, whose aim will be to foster relations between Tajikistan and Malaysia and their elected representatives.

It was noted that the exchange of visits between the friendship groups would help expand and strengthen ties between the two countries. 

In this regard, they noted that Tajikistan/Malaysia Parliamentary Friendship Group would be set up in the near future, the Tajik MFA information department said.   

The Parliament of Malaysia (Parlimen Malaysia) is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system.  The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the Dewan Negara (Senate).  The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament.

The Dewan Rakyat (Malay for House of Representatives, literally People's Assembly) is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, consisting of members elected during elections from federal constituencies drawn by the Election Commission.

The Dewan Rakyat usually proposes legislation through a draft known as a 'bill'.  All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) and the Dewan Negara, before they are sent to the King for royal assent.  However, if the Dewan Negara rejects a bill, it can only delay the bill's passage by a maximum of a year before it is sent to the King. Like the Dewan Negara, the Dewan Rakyat meets at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur.