KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The constitutional amendment to separate the roles of the attorney general and public prosecutor has been deferred and will instead be examined by a new bipartisan parliamentary committee, Perikatan Nasional chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Takiyuddin confirmed that opposition MPs have been invited to join the special committee, which will scrutinise and refine the bill before it is put to a vote, according to report in Free Malaysia Today.

“We have been asked to submit names to join the committee, and we have done so,” he said, noting that a minister may be appointed to chair the panel. 

The Bill proposes amendments to six articles of the Federal Constitution and introduces two new provisions to establish the public prosecutor as an independent office, transferring prosecutorial powers that currently rest with the attorney-general. 

Last week, 10 PKR MPs suggested referring the legislation to a special select committee, highlighting its far-reaching impact and warning against rushing it. 

In a separate report by the New Straits Times, Takiyuddin also said the government has the option to proceed with the bill’s second reading and debate before deferring the vote, or postpone the second reading entirely. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, had explained that separating the AG and public prosecutor roles is meant to strengthen institutional independence while ensuring transparency and fairness in the legal system. 

If put to a vote, the bill would require a two-thirds majority — at least 148 MPs — to pass. 

The move comes a day after the Dewan Rakyat rejected a separate constitutional amendment aimed at limiting the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years, which also failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. 

 Malay Mail – Malaysia