THE government will take a year to conduct an empirical study before finalising a proposal to separate of the powers of the attorney-general (AG) and the public prosecutor.

Law and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said said about 19 laws, as well as the Federal Constitution, need to be amended for the separation of powers to be effected.

“However, the matter would also involve costs that require additional government spending,” she said when delivering her lecture in Parliament Lecture Series 3.0: Rebuilding the Nation Through Reforms at the Parliament last night.

Azalina said several laws have been amended where necessary, to address and improve governance in Malaysia in the past nine months.

She also pointed out that the government is in the process of drafting a state immunity bill that will reflect principles of international law such as state and sovereign immunity, conclusiveness of a sovereign’s status, certainty in the service of process for court documents on foreign nations and exceptions to the granting of such immunity.

With the presence of such a law, she hoped that other sovereign countries can also guarantee immunity to Malaysia based on the principle of reciprocity.

“The sovereignty of Malaysia needs to be safeguarded and cannot be taken for granted as the Sulu fraud has shown us,” she said.

The minister added that the unity government is currently studying in greater detail the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Act 1999 and the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 to increase public trust as well as the confidence of foreign investors.

Azalina emphasised that an all-of-Malaysia approach bringing together the public, government and civil societies is required to achieve the vision of building a better Malaysia with a robust economy that leads to fiscal sustainability, inclusive growth, quality jobs and institutional reforms.

“The unity government has a moral obligation and legal duty to the rakyat to ensure the reforms are addressed within this five-year period,” she said.

Also present at the lecture were Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul and former Dewan Rakyat speaker and former Court of Appeals judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof. – Bernama, August 19, 2023.