KUALA LUMPUR (March 13): The proposed Parliamentary Services Act is in its final stages of preparation, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

Despite not providing a specific timeline, Azalina said she was hopeful the bill could be tabled in this Dewan Rakyat sitting, which concludes on March 27.

"I have already discussed with the Dewan Rakyat speaker, Dewan Negara president and the prime minister recently. If possible, we will synchronise it with the proposed amendments to citizenship laws that will be brought by the Home Ministry, as both amendments will require 148 votes to be approved," says Azalina in response to Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub) during the oral question and answer session in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

The government is expected to table the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution pertaining to citizenship rights before Dewan Rakyat in the current sitting.

The Parliamentary Services Act was first enacted in 1963, just a few months before the formation of Malaysia. It allowed Parliament to act as a truly independent body, running its own affairs, selecting its staff and controlling its expenditure.

However, it was repealed in 1992.

Azalina reaffirmed the government's commitment to table the Parliamentary Services Act, as several engagement sessions had been conducted throughout 2023 and 2024, involving the Dewan Rakyat speaker, Dewan Negara president, the secretaries of both the lower and upper house, the Public Services Commission of Malaysia (SPA), Public Service Department Malaysia, Ministry of Finance, Attorney General’s Chambers and the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister's Department.

"These sessions aim to finalise the relevant policy resolutions on this matter. The bill is almost 90% completed, and draft laws are already prepared; we just wait for the time to table it before Dewan Rakyat," she said.