KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal to establish a Legislative and Legal Commission requires deeper consideration and analysis, particularly regarding the two key factors of cost and duplicity, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that in terms of duplicity, for instance, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) already has its own division or department for law revision and reform.
“They are staffed by legal experts and practitioners, so creating a new commission is not a straightforward process, especially when considering duplicity in departments and the placement of officers currently serving in those departments.
“Secondly, there is the cost factor. Such a commission must be established under an independent Act, similar to other commissions already present in our country. This requires a phased approach, taking into account challenges, including legal elements across federal, state and concurrent lists. It will take a considerable amount of time,” she said.
Azalina said this when replying to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof regarding the timeline for the establishment of the commission.
She said that currently, all follow-up actions related to the commission’s establishment are being assessed based on an in-depth evaluation conducted by the Legal Reform Task Force.
“However, when discussing the commission, the main issue is institutional reform work and existing laws, such as outdated legislation. In reality, our work on all of this continues, and it doesn’t mean that the lack of a commission halts progress,” she said.
