Bersih lauds Parliament Services Bill's passage, but says its not perfect

Summary

• Bersih says the passage of the Parliament Services Bill is just "the beginning" as the legislation is not in its ideal form to grant full autonomy to Parliament.

• Electoral watchdog also calls for the establishment of a dedicated Parliament committee on election affairs.

Bersih has congratulated the government for passing the Parliamentary Services Bill, which grants greater autonomy to Parliament.

However, the election watchdog and advocacy group stated that “this historic moment is just the beginning.”

“As everyone is aware, the bill that has been passed is a hybrid version and not the ideal version that grants full autonomy (to Parliament),” the coalition said.

The Dewan Rakyat yesterday passed the Parliamentary Services Bill (PSA), which, among other things, aims to separate parliamentary services from the public service.

It also provides for the establishment of the Parliamentary Services Council to appoint and determine the terms and conditions of parliamentary service members, oversee parliamentary finances, and develop as well as implement related programmes and training.

A version of the law was enacted in 1963 but was later repealed by the Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration in 1992.

Anwar Ibrahim was the finance minister at the time it was abolished.

Push for improvement

Bersih also stated that the promised two-year transition period to achieve the objectives of reinstating the Act must continue to be pushed by all parties.

Additionally, it said that engagement processes, particularly through the joint committee between the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara, as well as the involvement of civil society members, should continue.

Bersih further emphasised that for continued parliamentary empowerment, amendments to the standing orders should be made moving forward.

This, Bersih said, would strengthen the functions of parliamentary committees.

“This will ensure that MPs from both the government and opposition can perform their true check-and-balance role on the executive body, allowing them to focus more effectively on debating government policies,” it added.

Electoral affairs committee

Bersih also reiterated its call for the establishment of a dedicated standing committee on electoral affairs, with the same status as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

It stressed that such a committee should not be established based on the needs of the ruling government, as elections are fundamental to the legitimacy of the government and the country’s democracy.

“We urge all parties, including civil society and Malaysians as a whole, to continue playing their role in demanding institutional reforms for a more mature and functional democracy.

“With this stronger parliamentary autonomy, we hope that national governance and policymaking can be further strengthened, bringing greater benefits to the people,” the group added.

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