Parliament Act changes in the works to disallow MPs facing trial to attend proceedings: Rais

KUALA LUMPUR – Amendments to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 are being reviewed to allow the houses to prohibit any member of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara facing ongoing court charges from attending Parliament proceedings.

Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim said the matter was discussed in a special meeting on Parliament transformation today with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, which he chaired on behalf of the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat.

“Besides that, both houses are also looking into drafting a special code of ethics for MPs,” he said in a statement.

The meeting was also attended by Dewan Negara Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, chief administrator of Parliament Nor Yahati Awang and Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat secretaries.

Following the meeting, a draft bill and a cabinet memorandum on the transformation of Parliament were submitted to Wan Junaidi for tabling and approval by the government, he said.

He said Wan Junaidi also fully supported the move to amend and empower the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 and reinstate the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 so that the concept of separation of powers between the legislature and the executive could be manifested as enshrined in Article 44 of the federal constitution.

He said with the move, Parliament will no longer be subject to executive power, in addition to allowing several new select committees with legislative powers to be established in the near future.

Rais said all these transformations are in line with the memorandum of understanding on transformation and political stability signed by the federal government and Pakatan Harapan on September 13, which focuses on the transformation of Parliament, among others.

A special briefing on the details of the transformation will be carried out for all MPs and senators soon, he added. – Bernama, September 30, 2021