The Malaysian government is working to finalise and pass the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 that separates the roles of Attorney General and Public Prosecutor during the current Dewan Rakyat parliamentary session [1, 2, 3, 4].
The Bill, presented in Cabinet on June 26 by Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, incorporates amendments based on feedback from a cross-party Parliamentary Special Select Committee [1, 3]. Azalina said, "I hope we can get a confirmation and I hope before this parliamentary session ends, we will be able to execute the progression of the amendment and so on. My hope is before this session concludes, Insya-Allah (God willing)" [1].
The Special Select Committee reached consensus on June 25 for Parliament to oversee the appointment of the Public Prosecutor, removing the Executive—Prime Minister and Cabinet—from this process [5]. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the reform "is not only about separating powers between the public prosecutor and the attorney-general, but also about freeing the public prosecutor from the executive" [2]. He added, "If examined closely, this is what will ensure that the Public Prosecutor, who holds significant powers, is not controlled or directed by any party for specific purposes" [4].
Under the proposed reform, Parliament through the Special Select Committee will review and assess nominees for the Public Prosecutor role. It will then submit recommendations to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, which advises the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the appointments [5]. Selayang MP William Leong Jee Keen said, "Transparency is our core focus. Through the Special Select Committee, Parliament has the capacity to scrutinise each candidate's credentials, merit, and competence before presenting its feedback to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission" [5].
Government officials described the reform as a significant step toward strengthening the independence of the Public Prosecutor and improving institutional checks and balances [2, 5, 4]. The Bill reflects input from both government and opposition MPs, who have shown largely positive support [1, 3]. Law Minister Azalina indicated planned amendments to Clause 18 addressing concerns from PKR lawmakers about nominee names presented to Parliament [3].
The government hopes to debate and vote on the Bill during the current parliamentary sitting, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage [1, 2, 3, 4]. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government aims to conclude the process before the session ends [2, 4].
