Its chairman, Selayang MP William Leong, said the proposed appointment of the public prosecutor by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong places the process within a professional and constitutional structure.
“The mechanism for termination via an independent tribunal provides institutional safeguards in line with the principles of the rule of law,” he said in a statement after the committee met to review two bills.
However, Leong said the committee believed the accountability aspects of the bill should be refined by clearly defining the public prosecutor’s legal obligations to Parliament and enshrining a code of ethics in law.
“These measures align with international best practices and ensure public confidence in the integrity of the prosecution system without compromising the independence of prosecutorial functions, which is fundamental to the rule of law,” he said.
Leong said the government should also consider making further improvements to the bill through a parliamentary special select committee.
“This is based on institutional considerations and constitutional principles, consistent with the committee’s role as an independent and impartial oversight mechanism,” he said.
On Tuesday, 10 PKR MPs proposed that the bill to formally separate the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor be referred to a parliamentary special select committee for detailed scrutiny.
They argued that Parliament should play a role in appointing the public prosecutor, saying the bill, in its current form, concentrates power in the prime minister and the Judicial and Legal Service Commission.
They also said their support would depend on whether the government takes their proposals into account.
Separately, Leong said the committee also expressed support for a bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years, to be applied retrospectively.
He said the bill strikes a careful balance between implementing term limits and maintaining government stability.
“The committee also emphasised that provisions for administrative continuity ensure no power vacuum occurs, allowing limited functions to continue until a new prime minister is appointed,” he said.
Both bills involve constitutional amendments and require a two-thirds majority, or at least 148 votes in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, to be passed.