Malaysia - July 2025

The Parliamentary Services Act received royal assent on 14 July, granting the Parliament administrative independence from the government and thus the power to manage its own staffing, budget, governance and internal policies. The policies are expected to go into effect in June 2026, as the Parliament plans how to take over responsibilities that have since 1992 been the purview of the prime minister’s office. Constitutional law experts have praised the efforts to strengthen the separation of powers, but argued that further improvements were needed to ensure parliament could act as a robust check on the executive. These include stronger job security for parliamentary staff and guarantees of nonpartisan appointments to the Parliamentary Services Council that will oversee parliamentary administration. 

Sources: Malay Mail (1), The Star, Malay Mail (2), Free Malaysia Today, Parliament of Malaysia