KUALA LUMPUR: The Backbenchers Club (BBC) has hailed the passing of the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 as a historic institutional reform towards freedom, autonomy and accountability.
This comes after the Dewan Rakyat successfully passed the much anticipated bill, which aims to establish Parliament as an independent entity from the civil service, after a voice vote on Wednesday (Mar 5).
BBC, which comprises MPs not part of the government or Cabinet, said the bill would make Parliament more effective and accountable through greater independence from the executive branch.
“Parliament will now have full authority to enact laws, implement more effective checks-and-balance mechanisms, and ensure meaningful discourse in the people’s interests.
“It will be able to manage its financial resources autonomously and no longer be reliant on influence from the executive branch.
“This allows for a more transparent, efficient, and needs-oriented allocation of funds for the people,” BBC chairman Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said in a press conference at Parliament on Wednesday.
He added that the new hybrid administrative model of Parliament would enhance its efficiency by ensuring a smooth operation, maintaining specialised expertise in legislative matters, and meeting the needs of all parties involved, including MPs and the officers concerned.
“The reinstatement of the Parliamentary Service Act is a significant victory for Malaysia's democracy, and we look forward to its effective implementation to enhance the accountability and credibility of Parliament for the brighter future of the nation.
“BBC will remain steadfast in supporting all initiatives that strengthen democratic institutions and ensure the supremacy of the Constitution continues to be upheld,” he said.
The bill, also known as the Parliamentary Services Act was first enacted in 1963, shortly before Malaysia's formation and allowed Parliament to operate independently by selecting its own staff and managing its expenditure.
However, it was repealed in 1992 during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's first tenure as prime minister.
