ON March 5, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Parliamentary Services Bill 2025, marking a historic step in restoring Parliament’s autonomy.
Tabled by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), the bill underwent rigorous debate, with 36 MPs from both sides of the aisle weighing in before its eventual passage.
Key amendments were introduced to refine its provisions, reinforcing the framework for parliamentary independence.
The reinstatement of the Parliamentary Services Act is not just a legislative milestone but a fundamental institutional reform.
For the first time in over three decades, Parliament regained control over its affairs – from budget allocation to staffing decisions. This shift restores Malaysia’s balance of power, strengthening the separation of powers and democratic framework.
Yet, while this marks a crucial victory for governance, it should not be seen as the endpoint. Instead, it must set the stage for broader structural reforms, particularly in sectors still hindered by bureaucratic inefficiencies, with Malaysia’s healthcare system being the most urgent.
The original Parliamentary Services Act of 1963 was repealed in 1992, placing parliament under executive control. With the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing its budget, staffing and administration, Parliament’s ability to act as an independent check on government authority was significantly weakened. The consequences were stark, as seen in the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis, where executive influence over legislative affairs became glaringly evident.
Now that Parliament has reclaimed its independence, attention must turn to other critical public institutions that require similar autonomy, starting with our healthcare system.
Malaysia’s public healthcare system currently operates under the Public Services Department, which controls the hiring, placement and remuneration of medical professionals.
This rigid, bureaucratic structure has led to chronic inefficiencies, including an imbalanced distribution of doctors, slow hiring processes that fail to meet growing demands and a persistent brain drain as medical professionals leave for better opportunities due to non-competitive salaries.
Even basic concerns such as revising on-call allowances, which were last adjusted in 2012, remain unresolved despite being announced in Budget 2025. These allowances fail to reflect the rising costs and increasing workload faced by healthcare workers.
Recent policy changes have only highlighted the urgent need for reform. The revision of nurses’ and medical assistants’ working hours from 42 to 45 hours per week, intended to align them with other civil servants, was met with widespread frustration.
Rather than addressing deeper issues such as workload distribution and staffing shortages, this change only heightened dissatisfaction, highlighting the limitations of a system constrained by bureaucratic red tape rather than responding to the actual needs of healthcare professionals and patients.
If Parliament requires independence to function effectively, so too does the healthcare system. The way forward is through a health services commission, an independent body that can oversee the recruitment, distribution and remuneration of healthcare professionals based on healthcare needs rather than bureaucratic constraints.
A dedicated health services commission would enable targeted hiring and placement, ensuring that doctors, nurses and allied healthcare practitioners are deployed where they are needed most rather than according to outdated quotas.
It would provide competitive salaries and benefits, reducing brain drain by offering incentives that match the realities of the healthcare profession. It would also streamline administration by cutting through bureaucratic inefficiencies, making hiring, resource allocation and workforce planning more responsive and effective.
Most importantly, it would allow for strategic workforce management, ensuring that underserved areas receive adequate medical personnel and that healthcare resources are deployed effectively.
Malaysia does not need to start from scratch. Successful models already exist in other countries. Singapore’s Ministry of Health Holdings oversees workforce planning to ensure optimal staffing across public hospitals.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service Trusts allow hospitals to manage their own staff and budgets without excessive central government interference. These frameworks have improved efficiency, service quality and job satisfaction, proving that such reforms are both feasible and beneficial.
The reinstatement of parliamentary independence took decades of advocacy and political will. The same determination is needed to free Malaysia’s healthcare system from outdated constraints.
With the next general election approaching, political leaders must take a stand. Healthcare reform, specifically the establishment of a health services commission, should be a key electoral issue.
Public dissatisfaction with the overburdened healthcare system is growing, and a government that is serious about reformasi must make this a priority.
The passage of the Parliamentary Services Bill proves that change is possible. Parliament has reclaimed its autonomy, and now it is time for healthcare to do the same.
A health services commission would modernise the public healthcare system, ensuring that doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals are better managed, better compensated and better distributed to serve all Malaysians.
If Malaysia could restore parliamentary independence after 30 years, it can certainly take the next step towards a healthcare system that truly works for the people. The time to act is now.
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