KUALA LUMPUR (June 23): A government proposal on the table currently to appoint the public prosecutor falls short of ensuring meaningful parliamentary oversight, said a group of backbenchers.
The group, led by Subang Member of Parliament Wong Chen, takes aim at Clause 18 requiring the Judicial and Legal Service Commission to notify Parliament of nominees and seek feedback as insufficient to constitute genuine vetting or effective oversight.
“This does not amount to meaningful parliamentary scrutiny” as the proposed mechanism is limited to notification and non-binding feedback, said Wong, the spokesperson for the group.
The provision forms part of legislation to separate the Public Prosecutor’s Office from the Attorney General’s Chambers.
A special parliamentary committee reviewing the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026 made a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening the independence, integrity and accountability of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Among the recommendations is that public prosecutor nominees be presented to Parliament prior to formal appointment.
While acknowledging improvements in the latest draft, Wong said there remains a fundamental gap in the proposed framework — specifically Parliament’s role in vetting nominees for the public prosecutor post.
The group of lawmakers proposed that nominees recommended by the commission undergo bipartisan parliamentary confirmation hearings at a Special Select Committee level, with proceedings broadcast publicly.
Under their proposed model, successful nominees would then be voted on in the Dewan Rakyat, requiring a simple majority for confirmation before a formal appointment by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The lawmakers who signed the joint statement on Monday include Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Sungai Siput MP Kesavan Subramaniam, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, and Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.
They also called for nominees to submit independently audited public asset declarations during the confirmation process, saying this is necessary to safeguard integrity and prevent potential conflicts of interest.
As the constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, the lawmakers urged the government to engage further on the proposed reforms relating to separation of powers and to consider a more measured approach.
When asked whether the group would vote as a bloc, Wong said individual MPs would decide their position when the Bill is put to a vote. “For me, I will definitely not support it unless the necessary changes are made,” he added.
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