Referral of AG-PP bill to special committee not unprecedented, says BHEUU

2026-03-05 - 07:03

It was previously reported that law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said would lead the special committee formed to deliberate on the bill separating the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: The referral of the bill to separate the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor to a special parliamentary committee chaired by a minister is not a new practice, says the legal affairs division (BHEUU). It said similar referrals were made in 2004 and 2022 to minister-chaired committees, adding that they remained “part of the check-and-balance mechanism in the democratic parliamentary system”. On July 20, 2004, amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code were referred to a committee chaired by Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department at the time. On April 11, 2022, meanwhile, a committee chaired by Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar reviewed the constitutional amendment bill on party-hopping. “The same approach was also used for the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022, which was referred to a select committee on Aug 2, 2022 by then health minister Khairy Jamaluddin. “The government remains subject to the principle of accountability to Parliament as provided for under Article 43(3) of the Federal Constitution, in that the Cabinet is collectively responsible to Parliament. “As such, the bill’s review by a special select committee is part of the check-and-balance mechanism in the democratic parliamentary system,” BHEUU said in a statement today. It was reported on Tuesday that law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said would lead the special committee formed to deliberate on the bill separating the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor. PKR MP Lee Chean Chung however questioned the committee’s formation, saying the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on human rights, elections and institutional reforms was already in place to handle such issues. However, BHEUU said the proposal had already been presented to the PSC in question on Feb 26 and to the PSC on law review on March 2, as part of “inclusive discussions that involved MPs across parties”. “This reflects the government’s approach to ensuring that institutional reforms are reviewed inclusively and in depth, based on the rule of law. “Various other stakeholders, including MPs, legal experts, academics and members of civil society, are expected to be invited to share their views to strengthen the bill,” it said.