Draft on Parliament transformation to be submitted to cabinet before March

KUALA LUMPUR: The draft on Parliament Transformation recommendations to revive the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 and several amendments related to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet before March.

Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said the memorandum of recommendation had been submitted to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

"Without the revival of administrative and financial functions and roles, Parliament will not function separately from the Executive power," he said in a statement on Thursday (Jan 27).

He said the committee was only working on reinstating the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 which was discontinued since 1993 and under the act were part of Parliament's separate functions and powers, including in terms of administrative and financial autonomy.

He said also included in the Transformation Committee's recommendation was to establish the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament, the power to punish those who criticize or ridicule the power of Parliament and any committee, as well as Parliamentary administrative affairs.

In general, Articles 44 and 55 of the Federal Constitution which separate Parliament from any other entity are the priorities, he said.

Earlier, the Parliamentary Transformation Committee chaired by Rais held its final meeting today.

The committee comprises Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, Wan Junaidi, Parliament of Malaysia chief administrator and both parliamentary secretaries of the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat as well as officials representing various departments. - Bernama