Parliamentary Services Bill Must Be Free Of Executive Interference Say Ngos

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The government is planning to table the reintroduction of the Parliamentary Services Act in the current session of the Dewan Rakyat.
PETALING JAYA: A coalition of 55 civil society groups has urged the government to table a Parliamentary Services Bill that is independent of the executive, saying that parliamentary reforms require complete administrative and financial autonomy.
In a joint statement, the groups said such reforms are necessary to uphold the principle of separation of powers and prevent executive interference.
The statement includes groups like Bersih, Transparency International Malaysia, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) and Undi18.
It warned that failing to grant Parliament true independence could raise doubts about the government’s commitment to democracy and institutional reform.
“This will ensure Parliament, the executive and the judiciary function independently while maintaining the necessary checks and balances on the government,” the statement read.
“The bill should reinstate Articles 65(4) and (5) of the Federal Constitution to revive the Parliamentary Services Act, in line with the doctrine of separation of powers.”
On Feb 3, PKR MP Lee Chean Chung said the government will table the reintroduction of the Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) in the current session of the Dewan Rakyat.
Lee, who had attended a pre-Dewan Rakyat assembly meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, said the move was a significant step towards restoring parliamentary autonomy, lost when the Act was repealed in 1992.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul previously said lawmakers who failed to attend Dewan Rakyat sittings for a certain period risked losing their allowances once the PSA is in place.
The civil societies also called for amendments to Article 65 of the Federal Constitution to restore the independent appointment of the secretaries to the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
They proposed establishing an independent Parliamentary Services Commission to oversee these appointments.
Another key demand was that the position of chief parliamentary administrator, as head of parliamentary services, be independent of the civil service.
“Once appointed, the chief administrator and both secretaries should be considered members of parliamentary services rather than the general civil service to ensure their neutrality,” it said.
The groups further called for a Parliamentary Services Council, led by the speakers of both Houses and supported by a cross-party group of MPs.
“This council should be tasked with overseeing parliamentary administration without executive interference,” the groups said. - FMT

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