Kuala Lumpur:The establishment of the Parliamentary Service Council aims to alleviate the pressures faced by parliamentary officers in their duties related to checks and balances, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Azalina stated that under the Parliamentary Service Act 2025, officers choosing to serve under the Parliamentary Service would not be tied to the administrative structure of the public service. Instead, they will have their own management structure within the Parliamentary Service Council, which is expected to ease concerns about summoning senior public service officials for information or evidence.

Previously, government officers serving in Parliament feared repercussions, such as transfers, when summoning department heads due to shared public service hierarchies. With the new council, officers will report to the Speaker, creating a distinct management structure and reducing pressures, allowing Select Committees to perform their checks and balances function more confidently.

The Parliamentary Service Council will also have the authority to establish its own legislative drafting body, reducing reliance on the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC). This body will assist Members of Parliament from both government and opposition in examining, amending, and tabling Bills, including Private Members' Bills, thus promoting a true separation of powers.

For existing staff, the Parliamentary Service Council will define the appointment structure and service schemes for those opting into the Parliamentary Service. Some staff, such as Parliament's messengers, have already chosen to serve under the new structure, while others, including librarians and administrators, are still deciding.

Azalina previously mentioned that the proposed membership of the Parliamentary Service Council, to be considered at a committee meeting on October 13, will include the Speaker, Secretaries of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, and representatives from both government and opposition blocs.

The Parliamentary Service Act 2025 and related amendments to the Federal Constitution took effect on October 1, reinstating a dedicated parliamentary service 34 years after the previous legislation was repealed in 1992.