KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The Dewan Negara today passed the Parliamentary Service Bill 2025 which aims, among others, to ensure the effectiveness of the Parliament in carrying out its functions as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

The Bill was passed with a majority voice vote after being debated by several senators.

When winding up the debate, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that the Bill contains 15 clauses compared to only eight clauses in the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 which was repealed in 1992.

She said the most important clause in the Bill was pertaining to the Parliamentary Service Council (MPP) which may establish any committee as deemed necessary or expedient to assist the Council in carrying out its functions.

“This means that there will not be just one committee; there will also be a Parliamentary Service Appeals Committee as mentioned in Clause 9, the Parliamentary Service Disciplinary Committee (Clause 8), and the Parliamentary Service Promotion Committee (Clause 7),” she said.

Earlier, the Dewan Negara also passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 to strengthen the independence of the institution of Parliament and the principle of separation of powers.

The Dewan Negara sitting continues on Monday. — Bernama