KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Parliamentary Service Council will reduce the pressure faced by parliamentary officers when carrying out duties related to the checks and balances function, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said that under the Parliamentary Service Act 2025, officers who opt to serve under the Parliamentary Service will no longer be subject to the administrative structure of the public service, but will instead have their own management structure under the Parliamentary Service Council.
She said the change was expected to ease concerns among parliamentary officers when assisting Select Committees in summoning senior public service officials to provide evidence or information.
"In the past, when government officers serving in Parliament summoned other heads of department to appear and give evidence, they were afraid that such action might result in them being transferred elsewhere because they were still under the same public service boss.
"However, with the establishment of the Parliamentary Service Council, their boss will be the Speaker. The management is separate, so the pressure on officers can be reduced and the Select Committees can carry out their checks and balances function more boldly," she told a press conference on the direction of the parliamentary institution following the implementation of the Parliamentary Service Act 2025 at the Parliament lobby today.
Azalina said the Parliamentary Service Council would also have the power to establish its own legislative drafting body to reduce Parliament's dependence on the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC).
She said the drafting body would assist Members of Parliament, from both the government and opposition blocs, in examining, amending and tabling Bills, including Private Members' Bills.
"All Bills have so far been drafted by the AGC. Under the new scheme within this council, parliamentary drafting officers themselves will assist Members of Parliament in examining the clauses of laws being debated. This is a true separation of powers," she said.
On the status of existing staff, Azalina said the Parliamentary Service Council would determine the appointment structure and service schemes for those who opted to serve under the Parliamentary Service.
"So far, staff such as Parliament's messengers have decided to serve under the Parliamentary Service, while other positions such as librarians and administrators are still in the process of making their decisions," she said.
Azalina had previously said that the proposed membership of the Parliamentary Service Council would be considered at a committee meeting on Oct 13, comprising the Speaker and Secretaries of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, as well as representatives from the government and opposition blocs.
The Parliamentary Service Act 2025 and related amendments to the Federal Constitution came into force on Oct 1, restoring a dedicated parliamentary service 34 years after the previous legislation was repealed in 1992.
-- BERNAMA