KUALA LUMPUR — After 33 years, Malaysia’s Parliament will regain autonomy from the executive branch with the passing of the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 by the Dewan Rakyat today.
The bill was passed by a majority voice vote after being debated by 35 government and opposition MPs.
Its passage marks a significant milestone in the Madani Government’s institutional reform efforts, aiming to restore the nation’s governance framework by ensuring Parliament functions as a truly independent and sovereign institution.
The Parliamentary Services Bill 2025 seeks to establish parliamentary services as a separate entity from the civil service.
It also provides for the formation of the Parliamentary Service Council (MPP), which will oversee appointments and employment terms for parliamentary service members, manage financial matters related to the service and develop training programmes for parliamentary staff.
To prepare the way for implementation of these provisions in the bill, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 had to be passed first, which the Dewan Rakyat did yesterday.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 forms the basis for the Parliamentary Services Bill.
Transition period
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, when winding up the debate on the Parliamentary Services Bill, said that at least two years will be needed for a transition period after the bill’s passing by the Dewan Netara and after it comes into force.
This period is to facilitate Parliament’s restructuring, appointment of officers, transfer of positions and deployment of the new administrative system.
It will also involve development of Parliament’s own finances and human resources, which will require coordination with the Public Service Department and the Finance Ministry of Finance.
New regulations will be needed to create implementation mechanisms such as internal SOPs (standard operating procedures), Bernama reports Azalina saying today.
As for the MPP, Azalina said it will be the highest body in the Malaysian Parliament responsible for planning, deciding and monitoring the management and administration of the Parliamentary Services.
The MPP is to function as an independent and autonomous body, she added.
To ensure balanced representation, the MPP will have two Dewan Rakyat members each from the government and opposition for a total of four MPs, and two members of the Senate.
The Parliamentary Services Act was first introduced in 1963 before being repealed in 1992.
After its repeal, Parliament was placed under the Prime Minister’s Department with a minister overseeing or supervising the administration of the institution. However, this led to some loss of autonomy and independence prompting calls for reforms and for the reinstatement of the Parliamentary Services Act. – March 5, 2025