Azalina: New Parliament Services Act to strengthen lawmakers, benefit public

A clearer separation of legislative and executive powers through enforcement of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 will benefit both elected lawmakers and the people they serve, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

The Act, which came into force on Oct 1, gives Parliament greater control over its administration, finances, staffing and professional support services.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament today, Azalina (above) said this would help address the perception that only cabinet ministers or government MPs have the ability to act on issues affecting their constituents.

“For the public, the most important benefit is that people no longer have to think that only someone who is a cabinet minister, or who supports the government, can get things done.

“Whether they are government backbenchers or opposition MPs, they have the right to question government policies and challenge government bills,” she said.

The Act restores a dedicated parliamentary service more than three decades after the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 was repealed in 1992, bringing Parliament’s administration under a separate institutional framework instead of the ordinary federal public service.

More support for lawmakers

Azalina said Parliament will have its own legislative drafting division and Parliamentary Draftsman, a departure from the current practice where federal legislation is drafted primarily through the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

This, she said, would provide MPs with technical support when scrutinising bills, proposing amendments or initiating legislative changes.

“This is extremely important because one of Parliament’s main responsibilities, apart from raising the concerns of the public, is to make laws.

“MPs should have the support they need to carry out that legislative function,” she said.

The Act also allows the parliamentary service to provide lawmakers with other forms of professional assistance, including research support.

Azalina said parliamentary select committees could similarly benefit from greater institutional independence.

She noted that committees sometimes struggled to obtain information when senior government officials declined to appear before them.

At present, parliamentary officers remain civil servants and could be reluctant to summon senior government officials for fear of career repercussions, she said.

“With an independent parliamentary service, they will work for Parliament. Their boss will be the speaker,” she said.

This, she added, could make it easier for select committees to carry out their oversight functions.

Opposition concerns

Asked whether the Parliamentary Services Council could become a platform for opposition MPs to raise long-standing demands such as equal constituency allocations, Azalina said this was possible.

“The council, led by both speakers, will have to decide what kind of Parliament it wants to create,” she said.

Azalina noted that MPs who find themselves in opposition, regardless of which party is in power, often feel sidelined when their questions or requests are rejected.

The reform, she said, was intended to provide Parliament with the institutional capacity to serve all MPs, whether they sit on the government or opposition benches.

Who sits on the council?

At the centre of the new structure is the Parliamentary Services Council, which will oversee the parliamentary service, including appointments, employment terms, financial matters and training programmes.

The Dewan Negara president and Dewan Rakyat speaker will jointly lead the council.

Its membership will also include their deputies, the secretaries of both Houses, two senators and four MPs - two from the government and two from the opposition.

The Dewan Rakyat Selection Committee must nominate the four MPs before their appointments are approved through a House resolution.

Senior officials from the Treasury and Public Service Department, as well as Parliament’s chief administrator, will serve as ex-officio members without voting rights.

Azalina said a meeting is expected next week to begin the process of selecting representatives for the council.

Parliament controls its resources

Azalina said financial autonomy was another central feature of the reform.

“Parliamentary autonomy goes hand-in-hand with accountability. When Parliament administers its own finances, that is one of the first elements of institutional independence,” she said.

Existing parliamentary officers will be given the option of remaining within the public service or joining the parliamentary service.

The new service will also establish its own career paths for parliamentary personnel and professionals.

Azalina said some personnel, including sergeants-at-arms, had already decided to join the parliamentary service, while others such as librarians and administrative officers would have to choose.

She described the reforms as a practical step towards strengthening the separation of powers.

“Parliament is now moving towards institutional independence - not merely in rhetoric, but in implementation, staffing and finances,” she added.

COMMENT | Parliamentary service: Making independence work for the people

COMMENT | When will Ombudsman Malaysia be established?

Parliament reforms strengthen democratic accountability, says PM