PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the process of reinstating the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 should be expedited to ensure parliament is free from executive power.

He said the parliament’s transformation was also vital to maintain democracy and freedom of expression in the country.

“It has to be expedited, the attorney-general has been notified, some issues are being scrutinised and need to be simplified to avoid problems when we table it (at parliament),” he said today.

The act, which was first enacted in 1963 and repealed in 1992, had to be restored to give parliament autonomy over its administration and to enable it to play the role of providing checks and balances in monitoring the government’s executive power for the benefit of the people and nation.

Anwar also reminded lawmakers to focus on moral issues despite having differences of opinion when debating in parliament.

“You can debate, you can have different opinions, but there is no need to be rude and nasty,” he said, adding that the issue of dilapidated schools and hardcore poverty will be among the issues to be raised in Budget 2023, which to be tabled on February 24. – Bernama, February 14, 2023.