PSA to be revived to strengthen the independence of Parliament – Wan Junaidi
SHAH ALAM - The Parliamentary Service Act (PSA) is set to be revived this year after 30 years of its demise to strengthen the independence of Parliament.
In a report by English news portal The Star, Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the draft of the Bill would be prepared for Cabinet approval and once the Cabinet agreed, the Bill was expected to be tabled in the October session of the Dewan Rakyat.
“The proposal was initiated by me when I was a minister during the previous administration.
“However, at that time, there were still a lot of loose ends and policy matters which had yet to be decided.
“A final decision was made on the policies related to the Bill during a one-and-a-half-hour meeting chaired by me on Wednesday night. It marks the first real step for the PSA to be revived after 30 years,” he told The Star in an exclusive interview yesterday.
The PSA was first introduced in 1963, however, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his first stint as prime minister, repealed it in 1992 when it paved the way for Parliament to act as a body that was independent from the executive branch of government. It managed its affairs, including selecting its staff and controlling its expenditure. Parliamentary affairs have since fallen under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department.
Civil society groups have repeatedly called for the PSA to be revived and Wan Junaidi said that Parliament would have greater autonomy to manage its finances and administration once the law had been revived.
“A Parliamentary Service Commission will be set up so that the management of personnel in Parliament will no longer come under the Public Services Department (PSD).
“It will mean that Parliament can recruit its officers. It will also get money directly from the Finance Ministry, and it will be free to determine how it is spent.
“An internal audit will be carried out to see how the money is spent, and it will also come under the scrutiny of the Auditor-General,” the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing law and parliamentary matters said.
Commenting further, he said the council, chaired by the Dewan Negara president and Dewan Rakyat Speaker, will also be set up to oversee the management of parliamentary affairs.
He added, that the council would comprise representatives from the relevant ministries and opposition Members of Parliament and Senators.
Besides, he said the finer details of the Bill were still being ironed out for approval by the Senate President and Dewan Rakyat Speaker before it was presented to the Cabinet.
“My promise to the Prime Minister is that I will get the Bill tabled by this October.
“Once the law is passed and comes into force, a six-month transition will be given for its implementation,” he said.
He said the transition period was needed to allow the current Parliament officers to decide if they want to continue working in Parliament or be reabsorbed into the civil service.
