KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts to amend the Federal Constitution and formulate the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 to elevate the status of the Parliamentary institution can be deemed as the mother of all reforms, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said that under the Madani Government's institutional reform agenda, Parliamentary Services will gain autonomous power in determining policies and governance for the Malaysian Parliament.
"This indirectly gives real meaning to (the doctrine of) separation of powers among the judiciary, executive and legislature," she told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Feb 25) when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address for the Prime Minister’s Department.
She added that in drafting the bill, several engagement sessions, committee meetings and surveys were conducted in 2023 and 2024, involving the Senate President, Dewak Rakyat Speaker, Public Service Department, Finance Ministry and non-governmental organisations to discuss policy formulation and the establishment of the Parliamentary Services Act.
The Parliamentary Services Act was introduced in 1963 before being repealed in 1992.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 were tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Feb 25), with the second reading scheduled for March 4, to be presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Azalina highlighted the need to amend the Contracts Act 1950 (Act 136), describing it as outdated and requiring revisions to align with modern digital transactions and e-commerce agreements.
She noted that much of Act 136 still uses archaic terminology.
"This is a crucial challenge because today, bank documents are digital, and so are signatures.
"Sometimes this affects the burden of proof in contract cases, making it more complex if the law is not reviewed and amended," she said.
In this connection, she said the Act 136 Amendment Review Committee, chaired by Federal Court Judge Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, was established on Jan 14 to conduct a comprehensive review of the Act. - Bernama
