adminKUALA LUMPUR: The people should benefit from a freer Parliament when their representatives, whether from the government bloc or the opposition, have the space to question government policies.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that the implementation of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 will strengthen the roles and responsibilities of every Member of Parliament regardless of bloc.
According to him, the change could also change the perception that Parliament is more in favor of the government.
“We can no longer assume that Parliament has to bow to the government’s voice. It’s as if that premise no longer exists with this act,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.
Azalina said the benefits to the people can also be seen when a Member of Parliament no longer only depends on their position in the government to play their role.
He said that Members of Parliament, whether from the government bloc, government supporters or the opposition, have the right to question government policies.
He also stated that Parliament will also have its own drafting section including a parliamentary draftsman , compared to currently when law drafting is carried out by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
According to Azalina, the drafting division will assist Members of Parliament in the law-making process, including questioning government laws and proposing amendments to existing laws.
“Government laws can be questioned, existing laws can be amended because they have a drafting section.”
“This is truly the separation of powers. The courts are independent. The executive is independent. Now Parliament will be independent,” he said.
According to Azalina, Parliament’s independence is not just in terms of principle, but will be implemented through changes in staffing and finances.
“This means that as a Member of Parliament now, there can be no excuse for saying I can’t do it because I’m not from the government,” he said.
He said that this independence, however, did not mean that Parliament was exempt from accountability, but rather that the accountability process remained in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
The Parliamentary Services Act 2025 came into effect on October 1 and is now entering the implementation phase.
Azalina said the Selection Committee will meet next week to select representatives who will sit on the Parliamentary Service Council.
It includes two Dewan Rakyat representatives each from the government and opposition blocs, in addition to two Dewan Negara members.
The names of the government and opposition representatives will then be brought to the Dewan Rakyat for a vote and not directly appointed by the Speaker.
-Agency
