Opposition urges withdrawal of constitutional amendment bills on AG-PP separation and PM term limits, citing lack of reforms
PETALING JAYA: The Opposition has urged the government to withdraw the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 2026 on the separation of the roles of the attorney-general (AG) and public prosecutor (PP), which is scheduled for a second reading next Monday.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the proposed amendment merely transfers prosecutorial powers from the AG to the PP without introducing substantive reforms.
“This is not a meaningful reform of the law. For years, the Opposition and civil society have argued that the AG’s powers under existing constitutional provisions are too wide and excessive,” he told a press conference at Parliament yesterday.
The press conference was attended by opposition MPs from PAS, Bersatu and several independents recently expelled from Bersatu. However, opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, one of the Bersatu leaders recently sacked, was not present.
Referring to existing provisions, Takiyuddin said the AG currently holds absolute discretion to institute, conduct or discontinue proceedings in any court other than syariah courts, native courts and courts-martial.
He added that under the new amendment, the absolute discretion would simply be transferred to the PP, without adequate checks and balances or accountability mechanisms.
He proposed that the separation of powers and the creation of the PP post be referred to a bipartisan special Parliamentary Select Committee. The Opposition also wants prosecutorial decisions to be subject to judicial review.
On another matter, Takiyuddin described the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 1) 2026, which seeks to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years, as unconstitutional, saying it would encroach upon the discretionary powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and require the consent of the Conference of Rulers.
Meanwhile, the bloc also raised concerns over the Education Ministry’s plan to admit six-year-olds into Year One, urging Putrajaya to clarify implementation details or defer the policy by two years.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had on Monday announced that the second readings of both Bills would be tabled at next week’s Dewan Rakyat sitting.