Mengapa rang undang-undang pemisahan peguam negara perlu diteliti/Why attorney general separation bill needs more scrutiny

[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Kami, kumpulan masyarakat sivil yang bertandatangan di bawah, berterima kasih kepada majoriti ahli Dewan Rakyat yang menggemakan kebimbangan yang dilontarkan oleh kumpulan masyarakat sivil berkaitan Rang Undang-undang Perlembagaan (Pindaan) (DR 5/2026).

Ahli Parlimen daripada PKR, pembangkang dan Ahli-ahli Parlimen yang lain daripada pelbagai parti politik yang telah kami temui dalam libat urus minggu lepas telah menyatakan kekhuatiran mereka berhubung, antara lain:

• cadangan proses pelantikan secara budi bicara bagi pendakwa raya baharu
• ketiadaan tempoh perkhidmatan dan umur persaraan
• ketiadaan sekatan atau pengawasan terhadap kuasa pendakwaannya
• komposisi Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Kehakiman dan Perundangan (SPKP)
• ketiadaan mekanisme pengawasan Parlimen dan kehakiman yang jelas dan kekal terhadap pejabat pendakwa raya dan peguam negara

Seandainya rang undang-undang ini diluluskan dengan bentuknya yang sedia ada, bukan sahaja kebimbangan terhadap potensi pengaruh tidak wajar dan salah guna kuasa terhadap perkhidmatan pendakwaan akan berterusan, bahkan mungkin wujud kebertanggungjawaban dan ketelusan yang lemah terhadap tindakan pendakwaan serta perlindungan yang lemah terhadap penumpukkan kuasa di pejabat pendakwa raya berbanding apa yang kita ada sekarang.

Berdasarkan kebimbangan yang meluas ini, kami bersetuju dengan majoriti Ahli-Ahli Parlimen bahawa bacaan kali kedua rang undang-undang ini mesti ditangguhkan supaya sebuah jawatankuasa pilihan dewan dapat meneliti rang undang-undang tersebut dan mengemukakan syor penambahbaikan.

Justeru, kami menggesa kerajaan untuk merujuk rang undang-undang tersebut kepada sebuah jawatankuasa pilihan parlimen di bawah peraturan mesyuarat 54(1) sebelum bacaan kali kedua diselesaikan, supaya jawatankuasa pilihan tersebut boleh meneliti perincian, merit dan prinsip rang undang-undang ini di bawah peraturan mesyuarat 55(1).

Kami juga menggesa kerajaan dan Ahli-ahli Parlimen untuk memastikan terma rujukan jawatankuasa pilihan tersebut akan membolehkan penelitian rang undang-undang ini secara menyeluruh, termasuk perkara-perkara berikut:

• untuk meneliti cadangan pelantikan, pemecatan, tempoh jawatan, keperluan persaraan wajib, kuasa, tugas dan kewajiban yang berakauntabiliti pendakwa raya, dan mekanisme bagi memastikan pengawasan parlimen dan kehakiman
• untuk meneliti pelantikan, pemecatan, tempoh jawatan, keperluan persaraan wajib, kuasa, tugas dan kewajiban yang berakauntabiliti peguam negara, dan mekanisme bagi memastikan pengawasan parlimen dan kehakiman
• untuk meneliti struktur dan cadangan perubahan kepada SPKP, termasuk komposisi dan pelantikan ahli-ahli SPKP, kuasa dan fungsi SPKP, dan keupayaan SPKP untuk beroperasi secara mandiri dan bebas daripada pengaruh eksekutif
• untuk menjemput pandangan dan syor daripada pakar-pakar, pihak-pihak berkepentingan dan orang awam sebelum memberikan cadangan
• untuk mencadangkan perubahan atau pindaan rang undang-undang dan melaporkan pindaan ini kepada Dewan Rakyat bagi pertimbangan dan kelulusan di bawah peraturan mesyuarat 58 dan 60

Sehubungan itu, kami mengalu-alukan kenyataan terkini oleh pengerusi Jawatan Kuasa Pilihan Hak Asasi Manusia, Pilihan Raya dan Reformasi Institusi yang mencadangkan agar rang undang-undang ini dirujuk kepada jawatankuasa pilihan untuk penambahbaikan lanjut.

Walau bagaimanapun, kami terkejut apabila kenyataan tersebut merujuk kepada perbincangan jawatankuasa pilihan tersebut sebagai satu “semakan menyeluruh” selepas hanya bermesyuarat selama beberapa jam dalam satu hari dan hanya melibatkan beberapa pihak berkepentingan sahaja.

Kami juga terkejut dengan pandangan yang didakwa dinyatakan oleh jawatankuasa pilihan ini bahawa cadangan proses pelantikan pendakwa raya “meletakkan proses pelantikan dalam kerangka perlembagaan yang profesional dan terinstitusi” kerana perkara ini tidak mencerminkan maklum balas yang kami terima daripada Ahli-Ahli Parlimen, termasuk beberapa ahli jawatankuasa pilihan itu sendiri.

Kami berharap jawatankuasa pilihan ini akan memperjelaskan kenyataan beliau selepas ini.

English version

Why attorney general separation bill needs more scrutiny

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, are grateful to note that a majority of MPs share many of the concerns raised by civil society regarding the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 (DR 5/2026).

PKR MPs, other opposition MPs and numerous MPs from across different political parties whom we consulted recently have expressed reservations over:

• the proposed discretionary appointment process for the new public prosecutor
• the lack of a definite limit to his term of office and retirement age
• the lack of restrictions or oversight over his prosecutorial powers
• the composition of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission and the lack of clear, permanent parliamentary and judicial oversight mechanisms over the office of the public prosecutor and the office of the attorney general

If the bill is passed in its current form, not only will concerns regarding potential undue influence and misuse of power over the prosecutorial service continue, there could also be less transparency and accountability over prosecutorial actions and fewer safeguards against the concentration of power in the office of the public prosecutor than what we have currently.

In view of these widespread concerns, we agree with the majority of MPs that the second reading of the bill must be adjourned so that a parliamentary select committee may review the bill and make recommendations for improvement.

We therefore call on the government to agree to refer or commit the bill to a select committee under standing order 54(1) before the second reading is concluded, so that the committee can review the details, merits and principles of the bill under standing order 55(1).

We also call on the government and MPs to ensure that the terms of reference of the select committee will allow a thorough review of the bill including the following:

• review the proposed public prosecutor’s appointment, removal, term of office, requirement for mandatory retirement, powers, duties and obligations of accountability, and mechanisms to ensure parliamentary and judicial oversight
• to review matters relating to the attorney general’s appointment, removal, term of office, requirement for mandatory retirement, powers, duties and obligations of accountability, and mechanisms for ensuring parliamentary and judicial oversight
• review the structure and proposed changes to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, including the composition and appointment of members of the commission, the powers and functions of the commission, and the ability of the judicial service and the legal service to operate independently and free from executive influence
• invite submissions and opinions from experts, stakeholders and the public before making recommendations
• propose changes or amendments to the bill and to report those amendments to the House of Representatives for consideration and approval under standing orders 58 and 60.

In that regard, we welcome the recent statement by the chairman of the parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reforms, stating that the bill should be referred to a select committee of the House for further refinement.

However, we are surprised that the statement labels the Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reforms’ discussion as a “comprehensive review” after it merely met for several hours on one day and only consulted a handful of stakeholders.

We are also perplexed by the select committee’s alleged view that the proposed appointment process of the public prosecutor “places the process within a professional and constitutional structure” as this does not reflect the feedback that we have received from MPs, including several on the select committee. We hope the select committee will clarify its statement.

Jointly issued by:

Bersih
C4 Center
Ideas
Projek Sama
Rasuah Busters
Ikram
Abim

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