KUALA LUMPUR: The efforts regarding the separation of powers between the Attorney-General Chambers and the public prosecutor's office would be conducted in three different phases.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that this was due to the complexity and difficulty of the matter.
She said for the first phase of the effort, the Special Task Force for Comparative Studies was currently working on evidence-based research on several countries to examine and formulate the most suitable model for Malaysia.
"By taking into account the Shawcross principle and the doctrine of independent aloofness, the task force is also studying the countries that practise a parliamentary democracy-based legal system.
"This includes countries that employ an adversarial system and various administrative structures including federal, state, union and others," she said in Dewan Rakyat today.
Azalina said this in response to Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Perikatan Nasional-Kota Baru) who asked about the government's timeline and steps in implementing the separation of powers.
Meanwhile, she added that the Special Technical Task Force would conduct a comprehensive examination of the legal, staffing, and financial implications and prepare an interim report for the consideration of the Cabinet in the second phase.
The third phase, she said, would be held with the Sabah and Sarawak state governments, as well as other stakeholders, namely enforcement agencies such as the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Customs Department.
"The session will be organised by the Special Technical Task Force at the nearest time and the government is committed that the separation of powers will be carried out transparently, with extra focus on good governance to prioritise the welfare of the people."
Previously, Azalina announced the establishment of the two special task forces to expedite the reformation efforts regarding the separation of powers of AGC and the public prosecutor's office.
Azalina added that the decision to form the task forces was agreed upon in a meeting with the Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform members among others.