MCA vice president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng has expressed his strong support for the reintroduction of the Parliamentary Services Bill, saying the Bill will help establish the autonomy of the Parliament and ensure its independent administration.
Describing the Bill as a significant opportunity to strengthen the country’s democratic system, Wee, who is the Tanjung Piai MP, further expressed hope that the Bill will bring about more efficient and high-quality reforms within the August house.
“The proposal to establish a Parliamentary Services Council (PSC), which is the central component of the Bill is welcome,” he stated.
“The PSC will serve as the highest governing body within Parliament, allowing Parliament to freely determine its direction without any influence from political parties or government agencies.”
The Parliamentary Services Bill 2025, among others, aims to establish the Parliamentary Service as a separate service from the civil service. It was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 24.
The Parliamentary Services Act 1966 was repealed in 1992 and since then, it has been placed under the Prime Minister’s Department and there is a minister who supervises the movement and administration of Parliament.
Wee further noted that there are still several issues that need to be addressed by the government regarding the reintroduction of the Bill.
These include defining the composition of the committee such as how the members will be selected as well as ensuring a balanced representation from both government and opposition MPs.
“On the selection process for the PSC, both the government and the opposition must engage in consultation and reach a consensus, in line with the principles of fairness. Therefore, it would be ideal for both parties to have representatives within the committee,” he elaborated.
“On another note, I raised concerns about the rationale behind appointing the secretaries of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara as ‘open posts’ which has sparked some concerns. There is a fear that this could create room for nepotism and favouritism.”
Wee went on to urge the government to provide a clearer explanation for designating the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara secretary positions as ‘open posts’ in order to address any negative perceptions and misunderstandings surrounding the matter.
“It is time that we position the roles of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara secretaries at an equal level of importance with the challenging responsibilities and functions within the management of both chambers,” he continued.
“Furthermore, I would like to emphasise that all parliamentary staff should fall under a Parliamentary Services Department, or at least the majority of parliamentary departments should be clearly listed as part of the Parliamentary Services Department.
“However, under the proposed hybrid system, the management of Parliament will be indirectly separated from the management of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
“As such, I seek clarification on the implementation of the hybrid system and how it will offer better career opportunities and prospects for future parliamentary staff.” – March 7, 2025
