KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's Department has clarified that the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) is not involved in the affairs of the Pardons Board for Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.
In a statement, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister's Department also confirmed that the Federal Territories Minister is an official member of the Pardons Board.
The clarification was issued in response to a question from Kota Baru Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan in the Dewan Rakyat on the composition of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories.
He said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had misled the House when she said the Federal Territories Pardons Board fell under the purview of the Federal Territories Ministry.
Referring to Article 42(11) of the Federal Constitution, the department said the board's structure aligns with constitutional provisions, with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong serving as the appointing authority, and the Federal Territories Minister representing the three federal territories on the board.
"BHEUU is responsible for coordinating meetings of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya, and for providing direct reports exclusively to the Federal Territories Minister as the responsible minister," it said.