Malaysia To Table Revised AG-PP Separation Bill On June 22, Says Law Minister Azalina

KUALA LUMPUR,MAY,2026 – Malaysia’s revised constitutional amendment Bill to separate the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on June 22, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Law and Institutional Reform Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said.

The proposed law change, officially tied to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, is expected to be re-tabled on the first day Parliament reconvenes. Azalina said the Bill seeks to separate the functions of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, a reform that has long been discussed as part of efforts to strengthen prosecutorial independence and institutional accountability.

Azalina said the revised Bill appears to have received positive support from MPs across the political divide. Since the amendment involves the Federal Constitution, it requires a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, or at least 148 out of 222 MPs, before it can be passed.

Speaking after the sixth and final meeting of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Constitutional Amendments Related to the Separation of the Roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, Azalina said she hoped opposition lawmakers would support the Bill because the amendment would benefit the public as a whole.

Azalina said the government intends to present a statement on the committee’s meetings together with the revised Bill when Parliament reconvenes. She also expressed hope that the Bill could proceed through the First Reading, Second Reading and Third Reading during the June sitting.

The Law Minister described the proposed amendment as a historic reform for Malaysia, noting that since Merdeka, the roles of Attorney General and Public Prosecutor have existed together. The latest Bill would create a formal separation between the two functions for the first time.

Azalina said the revised version of the Bill is the version agreed to by all parties involved in the special select committee. She added that Parliament would have a role under the revised proposal, describing it as the best compromise achieved between the executive and legislative branches, although she did not provide further details.

The separation of the AG and PP roles has been a major item under Malaysia’s institutional reform agenda. Under the current structure, the Attorney General serves as the government’s chief legal adviser while also holding prosecutorial powers as Public Prosecutor. Critics have long argued that combining both functions can raise concerns over perceived conflicts of interest, especially in politically sensitive cases.

The revised Bill is expected to address these concerns by creating a clearer distinction between the government’s legal advisory role and the independent prosecution function. Supporters of the reform say this could strengthen public confidence in the justice system and reduce concerns over executive influence in prosecution decisions.

The Bill had earlier been referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on March 3, after the Dewan Rakyat agreed that the proposal should be further scrutinised and refined before being brought back to Parliament. The committee was tasked with examining the proposed amendment, including issues related to accountability of the Public Prosecutor.

According to The Edge, the next parliamentary sitting is scheduled to run for 16 days beginning June 22, making the upcoming session a key window for the government to move forward with the reform.

Azalina also thanked government and opposition MPs in the committee, as well as representatives from the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division, the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Dewan Rakyat secretary for their role in reviewing the Bill.

In a political context, Azalina also expressed hope that party leaderships would make major decisions only after parliamentary proceedings on the AG-PP constitutional amendment. Malay Mail reported that she said any such decision should happen after the amendment process, not before, and hoped political leaders would negotiate accordingly.

The timing of the statement is significant because constitutional amendments require broad political cooperation. Even if the government supports the reform, it still needs enough backing from opposition MPs and other political blocs to reach the required two-thirds threshold.

If passed, the AG-PP separation Bill would represent one of the most important institutional reforms in Malaysia’s legal system. It would mark a shift toward clearer boundaries between legal advice to the government and prosecutorial decision-making.

For now, attention will turn to the June 22 parliamentary sitting, where the government is expected to present the revised Bill and seek enough bipartisan support to pass the constitutional amendment. The outcome will determine whether Malaysia can move forward with a reform that has been discussed for years but has yet to be fully implemented.