PETALING JAYA: Some 30 years after its demise, the Parliamentary Service Act (PSA) is set to be revived this year to strengthen the independence of Parliament, said Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said a draft of the Bill will be prepared for Cabinet approval.
Once Cabinet gives its nod, the Bill is expected to be tabled in the October session of the Dewan Rakyat, added the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing law and parliamentary matters.
“The proposal was initiated by me when I was minister during the previous administration,” said Wan Junaidi, who is now Dewan Negara president.
“However, at that time, there were still a lot of loose ends and policy matters which had yet to be decided,” he said.
“A final decision was made on the policies related to the Bill during a one-and-a-half hour meeting chaired by me on Wednesday night,” he told The Star in an exclusive interview yesterday. “It marks the first real step for the PSA to be revived after 30 years.”
The PSA was first introduced in 1963, paving the way for Parliament to act as a body that was independent from the executive branch of government, where it managed its own affairs, including 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 However, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his first stint as prime minister, repealed it in 1992.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.
Since 2005, civil society groups have repeatedly called for the PSA to be revived.
Wan Junaidi said that Parliament will have greater autonomy to manage its finances and administration once the law is revived.
“A Parliamentary Service Commission will be set up so that the management of personnel in Parliament will no longer come under the Public Services Department (PSD).
“It will mean that Parliament can recruit its own officers. It will also get money directly from the Finance Ministry, and it will be free to determine how it is spent.
“An internal audit will be carried out to see how the money is spent, and it will also come under the scrutiny of the Auditor-General,” he said.
He added that a council, chaired by the Dewan Negara president and Dewan Rakyat Speaker, will also be set up to oversee the management of parliamentary affairs.
He said the council will comprise representatives from the relevant ministries and opposition Members of Parliament and Senators.
Wan Junaidi said the finer details of the Bill are still being ironed out for approval by the Senate President and Dewan Rakyat Speaker before it is presented to the Cabinet.
“My promise to the Prime Minister is that I will get the Bill tabled by this October.
“Once the law is passed and comes into force, a six-month transition will be given for its implementation,” he said.
He said the transition period is needed to allow the current Parliament officers to decide if they want to continue working in Parliament or be reabsorbed into the civil service.
