KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — The Parliamentary Services Bill is expected to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat soon, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
She said the government has requested that the law be tabled together with the proposed constitutional amendment regarding citizenship of children born overseas to Malaysian mothers, which will be brought by the Home Ministry.
According to Azalina, this is to get a two-thirds majority support or at least 148 votes, as they involve amendments to the Federal Constitution.
“The MADANI government is committed and has agreed in principle to amend the Federal Constitution and enact a new Parliamentary Services Act, among other things, to grant Parliament autonomy in administration and finance and establish the Parliamentary Service Council.
“This reform is in line with the government’s goal of upholding the doctrine of separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches and further strengthening constitutionalism,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
She was responding to a question from Raub MP Chow Yu Hui regarding the timeline for establishing the Parliamentary Services Act.
According to Azalina, there used to be a Parliamentary Services Act, but it was repealed in 1993.
“So, we hope this power will be restored so it has more authority and can be vocal. Anyone who becomes the government must be responsible to the people through their Members of Parliament,” he said.
— Bernama
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Wednesday, 13 March 2024
