KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7, 2026 — The establishment of the Parliamentary Service Council will help strengthen Parliament’s checks and balances by reducing pressure on parliamentary officers, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said officers who choose to serve under the Parliamentary Service will no longer be under the public service administrative structure, but will instead operate under a separate management structure headed by the Parliamentary Service Council.
She said this would give parliamentary officers greater independence when assisting Select Committees, particularly when senior government officials are called to provide evidence or information.
The council will also have the authority to establish its own legislative drafting body, reducing Parliament’s dependence on the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Azalina said the drafting body would assist both government and opposition MPs in examining, amending and tabling Bills, including Private Members’ Bills.
The Parliamentary Service Act 2025 and related constitutional amendments came into force on Oct 1, restoring a dedicated parliamentary service 34 years after the previous legislation was repealed in 1992.
-Bernama
