KUALA LUMPUR: Some 70% of Parliament staff disagree with the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 that is set to allow Parliament to recruit its own staff, among others, claims Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
Hamzah claimed he was informed of this by former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, popularly known as Art Harun.
“When he (Azhar) met and discussed this with Parliament staff and officers, 70% of them did not agree.
“If you want to do something for the benefit of staff, it’s not this way. We need to look at their futures too,” he told a press conference at the Parliament media centre here on Thursday (Feb 27).
Hamzah further questioned how Parliament staff will get promoted as the number of staff is low.
“This is not like a government-linked company which has different pay scales and benefits,” he said.
Hamzah also chided Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s statement saying that amendments to the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 were the mother of all reforms, adding that it was already discussed during Azhar’s tenure as Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
“If this is the start of a new era, our future will be ruined. How can you consider this the mother of all reforms?” he said.
Hamzah asked for the Bill to be sent for further review and not be bulldozed.
“It’s about the staffing power being given to the committee.
“Who is part of the committee? The Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Dewan Negara President co-chair this.
“It’s just about having the authority to employ staff and that’s called the mother of all reforms?” he said.
The Parliamentary Services Act was introduced in 1963 before being repealed in 1992.
On Tuesday, Azalina reportedly said the Bill would elevate the Parliament’s status, in service to the separation of powers among the judiciary, executive and legislature.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 were tabled for the 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.
