KUALA LUMPUR: The parliamentary service council can discuss equal allocations for MPs, anti-hopping laws and no-confidence motions, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said today.
However, she made no commitment to changing the policies, saying the government would leave the matters to the council to discuss.
"On behalf of the government, we are leaving it to the parliamentary service council to discuss the way forward on these policy matters," she said when winding up the debate on the 2027 budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
She was responding to Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), who asked for the government’s position on the three issues.
Ronald asked whether the council’s responsibilities should extend beyond Parliament’s administration to matters involving government policy.
"Would this not create a conflict between Parliament and the executive, given the broad scope of these responsibilities?" he said.
The council was established under the Parliamentary Service Act 2025, which took effect on Oct 1, to give Parliament greater control over its staff, finances and administration rather than relying on the government.
Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) proposed that every MP receive at least RM400,000 a year to cover staff salaries, office rental and utility bills, with the funds managed by Parliament.
He said constituency allocations were currently controlled by the Prime Minister’s Office, raising questions about whether Parliament could administer the funds without them being transferred to its control.
Azalina said the council could consider the proposal, adding however that any changes would take time.
She said the council was expected to become fully operational after two Dewan Negara representatives were selected in early December.
The council currently comprises two MPs each from the government and opposition blocs: Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor), Hasni Mohammad (BN-Simpang Renggam), Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) and Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu).
On a separate matter, Azalina said she would chair a committee to study the proposed establishment of a Malaysian Law Reform Commission.
She said the government was considering whether the commission should operate as an independent body, like the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, or come under Parliament’s purview.
The commission will review outdated laws, identify gaps in existing legislation and recommend amendments. The government is also studying whether it should be required to respond to the commission’s recommendations.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced plans to establish the commission when tabling the 2027 budget.