Dedicated Law Ministry may be re-established; proposal under further study - Wan Junaidi

PUTRAJAYA: There is a proposal to re-establish a dedicated law ministry with the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) as its core organisation to ensure matters related to law amendments are implemented more efficiently.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said a draft proposal is ready but further study on the pros and cons is needed.

In 1957, there was a Ministry of Law under the Ministry of Home Affairs before it became the Ministry of Justice in 1959. It was once again called the Ministry of Law in 1992 before it was dissolved on May 8, 1995, and later known as BHEUU placed under the Prime Minister's Department (JPM).

Speaking to the media after the BHEUU monthly gathering, here, today, Wan Junaidi said the plan to re-establish the Ministry of Law was justified as there are now almost 20 agencies under BHEUU, apart from having to shoulder the government's aspirations and transformation.

"The government has several matters to do in Parliament and at the same time if we look at the transformation we are implementing, the government cannot run away from amendments to Bills, regulations and many others," he said.

Wan Junaidi will present the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali to seek agreement in principle before bringing the proposal to the Cabinet.

When asked to comment on Malaysia's position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021, Wan Junaidi said the country's position in the index could be improved after legal action is taken against those involved (in corruption).

He said the country's position in the CPI was related to extensive corruption.

"If there are many cases of corruption in a country, but no one raises the matter, it will not be known and perception will be different. But in our country, people say there is corruption even for non-corrupt things, this increases the perception. However, I'm not saying corruption does not exist, " he said.

He also said taking legal action against those involved in corruption could also increase the perception that corrupt activities were "rampant".

"But Insya-Allah, if the perception increases due to the actions of the MACC and police, I am quite confident that at some point it (Malaysia's position in the CPI) will improve," he said.

Malaysia was ranked 62nd in the CPI 2021 released by Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) compared to 57th in 2020 and 51st in 2019.

-- BERNAMA