KUALA LUMPUR: A parliamentary committee will meet next week to decide on members of the Parliamentary Service Council (PSC), says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said the council will be jointly chaired by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Dewan Negara Speaker.
The PSC will also guarantee positions for two Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speakers and one Dewan Negara Deputy Speaker, who will be decided next week.
She said the Dewan Rakyat Secretary and Dewan Negara Secretary will also have guaranteed spots on the council.
Azalina also said the PSC will contain two MPs each from the government and opposition blocs respectively, along with two senators from the Dewan Negara.
“At next week’s meeting, the MP names from the government and opposition blocs will be put forward, after which it will be brought to the Dewan Rakyat to be voted on.
“The chosen MPs' will be decided and proposed by their prospective blocs before the meeting.
“This means they are not directly appointed by the Speaker. They will be voted on in the Dewan Rakyat,” she said in a press conference at Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 7).
She said the senators from Dewan Negara will be nominated by the Dewan Negara Select Committee.
She added that three ex-officio members — the Chief Secretary to the Government, Public Service Director-General, and Parliament Chief Administrator — will also sit on the council without voting rights.
Azalina said the council would oversee the Parliamentary Service, including appointments, terms and conditions of service, finances, training and other administrative matters.
She said existing officers serving in Parliament could opt to remain under the public service or transfer to the new Parliamentary Service.
“For example, a parliamentary doctor who does not want to work under the Health Ministry may choose to work under the Parliamentary Service,” she said.
Azalina said a key objective was to give Parliament greater control over its administration and finances, strengthening its institutional independence from the Executive.
“When Parliament controls its own finances, that is the beginning of an element of independence,” she said.
She said the new service would also provide Parliament with specialised expertise, including parliamentary drafting, policy research and support for Select Committees.
“This is a genuine separation of powers. Our judiciary is independent. Our Executive is independent. Now our Parliament will be independent,” she said.
Azalina said the reform would allow Parliament to serve government and opposition MPs more equally, including by strengthening their ability to scrutinise policies and legislation.
“As long as you are a backbencher, the premise that Parliament must bow to the government’s voice can no longer exist,” she said.
She added that greater independence would not remove accountability, which would remain within Parliament and to the people.
The PSC’s establishment is part of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 (Act 869) that came into effect on Thursday (Oct 1).
The Act, first tabled as a Bill on Feb 24, 2025, was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on March 5, 2025.
It was then subsequently passed by the Dewan Negara on March 20, 2025, and then gazetted on July 18, 2025.
