Parliamentary Service Council to become fully operational by December, boosting legislative independence

Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul told reporters that the Parliamentary Service Council will be fully operational by December, giving Parliament control over its own administration as mandated by the Parliamentary Services Act 2025. The council, created after the act took effect on Oct 1, will supervise officers’ service schemes, career progression and overall administration, ensuring compliance with the law. It will be co-chaired by the Speakers of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara and will consist of 16 members, including the Public Service director-general, Treasury secretary-general, four MPs and two senators.

The senators are to be elected when the Dewan Negara sits on Nov 30. Earlier, the Dewan Rakyat approved a motion from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to appoint two government and two opposition MPs—Ramkarpal Singh, Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee and Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan—to the council. The establishment aims to restore the principle of separation of powers and strengthen Malaysia’s democracy after three decades of administrative oversight by the Prime Minister’s Department.