She said this is due to the fact that the MPs have unanswered questions on various matter, particularly on the promulgation of Ordinances during the Emergency.

 

“Presently, the AG is not legally required to answer directly to the Parliament. In lieu of that, who will justify the rationale of the Ordinances promulgated during the Emergency?” Azalina said in a statement today.

 

“To allay doubts of potential conflict of interest on the AG’s conduct, any AG should be given the right to be heard in Parliament in person and not through a third party.So, how do we mitigate this in the future?” she added.

 

The Pengerang MP further stated that Article 145(2) of the Constitution states that it is the “duty of the Attorney General to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Cabinet or any Minister on legal matters as chief legal advisor of Malaysia”.

 

“Seen in this light, the AG is NOT ONLY the legal advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers but rather he is also the legal advisor to the YDP Agong, which together with both Upper and Lower Houses, constitute Parliament,” she said.

 

“It is high time that the administration of this country consider reverting to having a Member of Parliament as AG,” Azalina added.

 

To allay concerns about the AG’s tenure, she said Malaysia must restore the provision of having a tribunal before the AG can be removed just like pre-1963. 

 

According to the government,  the upcoming Dewan Rakyat sitting is to explain to the members about the National Recovery Plan and amend all legislation and regulations to enable Parliamentary sittings to be held hybrid.

“Pursuant to Clause (3) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, all emergency proclamations and ordinances made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament,” it said in a statement earlier this month.