A COALITION of six civil society organisations and a constitutional democracy expert have urged the government to immediately proceed with the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 2026, saying there is no longer any justification for delaying reforms to separate the offices of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor.
The groups said the proposed constitutional amendments should be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat without further postponement following an extensive review process and wide-ranging stakeholder consultations.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, they called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to ensure the Bill is debated during the current parliamentary sitting.
"We are of the view that there is no longer any reason for this Bill to be delayed in the Dewan Rakyat."
"The responsibility now rests on the Prime Minister, as Leader of the House, to ensure that debate on this Bill proceeds," the statement said.
The statement was jointly issued by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (IKRAM), Projek SAMA, Rasuah Busters and constitutional democracy expert Maha Balakrishnan.
The coalition also urged all Members of Parliament, senators and political parties to support the constitutional amendments, describing the reforms as a long-term institutional safeguard that would benefit both the public and future governments.
It said the Prime Minister, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and the bipartisan Parliamentary Special Select Committee had fulfilled their responsibilities by undertaking detailed scrutiny and stakeholder engagement before finalising the proposed amendments.
Although not every recommendation submitted during consultations was adopted, the groups welcomed the committee's agreement that an enabling Act should be introduced without delay to clearly define the appointment process, powers, duties and parliamentary accountability mechanisms for the Public Prosecutor.
The coalition said all political parties, including Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), MUDA and others, must now demonstrate that national interests take precedence over partisan considerations.
"The structural weaknesses that have long created opportunities for political interference, conflicts of interest and doubts over the independence of the prosecution service must not be allowed to persist," the statement said.
The groups noted that every major political coalition had previously served in government but had failed to establish an independent, transparent and accountable public prosecution system.
They argued that Parliament now has an opportunity to correct those longstanding institutional shortcomings by ensuring no individual or political authority can improperly influence criminal prosecutions.
The coalition also stressed that the Public Prosecutor must remain accountable to the public through Parliament as part of the broader institutional reform agenda.
"History will not judge them by promises or theories, but by the courage of Members of Parliament to make this important decision when genuine reform is finally within reach," the statement said.
The organisations further warned against any attempt to dilute the proposed constitutional amendments or weaken their intended reforms, insisting that the legislation must be supported by effective implementation mechanisms rather than becoming a symbolic exercise. - July 14, 2026
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