PETALING JAYA: As the Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) is set to be revived soon in the form of a new law, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul (pic) is calling on lawmakers to throw their full support behind the Bill.
Asked whether the Bill is confirmed for the upcoming Dewan Rakyat meeting, which begins today, he said he was informed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said that the pre-requisites have been completed.
The PSA would allow Parliament to act as a truly independent body, running its affairs, selecting its staff and controlling its expenditure.
It was first enacted in 1963, just a few months before the formation of Malaysia.
However, it was repealed during the administration of then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1992.
Since then, there have been numerous calls from civil society for its revival to ensure the independence of Parliament.
Johari, when contacted about the Bill, said: “I have not seen the Bill yet because it is still early, but I guess that will happen.
“She (Azalina) spoke to me personally and I am calling all MPs to give full support to the PSA.”
“Hopefully, that will help in running Parliament and give an advantage over anything else because with the PSA, we will have the independence and room to take our position to a higher level,” he said.If the Bill is tabled, Johari said he would galvanise the backing of all MPs.
“In the meantime, we shall do the planning if it is passed this year. We can start looking at (implementing) it next year.”
