AG-PP separation bill deferred; Special Select Committee to review the proposed constitutional amendment and recommend changes within three months.
PETALING JAYA: The government’s proposed Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026, which seeks to separate the roles of the Attorney General (AG) and Public Prosecutor (PP), has been deferred and will instead be referred to a new Special Select Committee.
The Dewan Rakyat passed a motion to refer the bill on the separation of AG and PP roles to the committee.
The House was subsequently adjourned and will reconvene for its next sitting in June.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the committee will examine the bill, including mechanisms for the accountability of the Public Prosecutor, and propose any necessary amendments.
“The committee will prepare a report with recommended amendments to the bill within three months, although this period can be extended if necessary,” she added.
The committee will comprise government and opposition members, including Azalina as chairman, as well as:
- William Leong Jee Keen from Selayang;
- Syahredzan Johan from Bangi;
- Adly Zahari from Alor Gajah;
- Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad from Parit Sulong;
- Roy Angau Gingkoi from Lubok Antu;
- Datuk Lo Su Fui from Tawau;
- Ramkarpal Singh from Bukit Gelugor;
- Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin from Larut;
- Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan from Kota Bharu;
- Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee from Beluran; and
- Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman from Muar.
The panel may also invite other stakeholders, including MPs, legal and constitutional experts, NGOs, civil society representatives, and other individuals, to participate in its sessions.
Earlier, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the government had informed them of the committee’s formation, with the opposition having already submitted its proposed representatives.
He said, while the opposition does not oppose the bill, it has suggested improvements to make the law stronger and less vulnerable to legal challenges.
“These improvements are necessary to make the law good and defensible,” he said.
The constitutional amendment aims to grant the PP full authority to prosecute cases independently while leaving the AG as the government’s legal adviser. Affecting multiple articles of the Federal Constitution, it would establish the PP as a fully independent office, with implementation expected in phases and adjustments to current structures.
First read last week, the bill has drawn mixed reactions. Civil society groups and opposition lawmakers have warned that certain provisions could concentrate power in the hands of a few.
Ten PKR MPs aligned with former deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli have indicated they may withhold support unless Parliament is given formal oversight of the new office. They are calling for the bill to be reviewed by the Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform, with PP candidates undergoing a public confirmation hearing and a Dewan Rakyat vote before royal assent.
They are also pushing for Parliament to initiate a motion to remove a sitting PP for misconduct, requiring a two-thirds majority before a tribunal can convene, and for the PP’s term to be reduced from seven years to four years.
Takiyuddin, representing the opposition, had previously warned that transferring absolute prosecutorial powers from the AG to the PP without strong accountability mechanisms could leave the office unanswerable to Parliament or any other body.
If the bill were brought to a vote, it would need the support of at least two-thirds of MPs — a minimum of 148 — to pass.
The development follows yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat decision to reject a different constitutional amendment that sought to cap the prime minister’s tenure at 10 years, which also fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
The Sun Malaysia
