PETALING JAYA: The Parliamentary Services Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament in November, says Senator Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim.
“The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department are preparing the draft of the Bill, which is monitored by the Parliamentary Transformation Committee from time to time.
“The Parliamentary Services Bill prepared includes amendments to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act and the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament,” the Dewan Negara president said in a statement yesterday.
Rais said a special meeting on parliamentary transformation was held on Thursday.
Also present at the meeting were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Legal Affairs Division director-general Datuk Abd Syukor Mahmood, their officers and representatives from the AGC.
The Parliamentary Services Act was introduced in 1963, paving the way for the Dewan Rakyat to act as an independent body, running its own affairs, selecting its staff and controlling its expenditure.
However, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his first stint as prime minister, repealed it in 1992.
Parliamentary affairs have since fallen under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department.
The coming Parliament meeting will sit for 32 days from Oct 3.
