How rare has select committee referral of Bills been historically?

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Historically, the referral of Bills to a Select Committee has been an exceptionally infrequent parliamentary procedure in Malaysia.

The practice of referring Bills to a Select Committee has historically been a rare parliamentary event in Malaysia, with only a limited number of instances recorded since the nation's independence. This distinguished treatment, as described by the late Professor RH Hickling, was often bypassed by governments due to a perceived need to avoid delays and uphold drafted legislation. However, recent parliamentary sessions have indicated a shift towards a more frequent utilisation of this committee process.
Infrequent Use of Select Committees Since Independence

Between Malaysia's independence and 2003, a span of over six decades, only five Bills were referred to Select Committees. Legal scholars Wan Arfah Hamzah and Ramly Bulan noted this scarcity in their work, "An Introduction to the Malaysian Legal System." This rarity stands in contrast to the standard procedure where most Bills are automatically considered by the Committee of the Whole House. The referral to an ad hoc Select Committee, which allows for public input, requires a specific motion and agreement from the Dewan.
Notable Instances of Select Committee Referrals

Among the few Bills that received this "distinguished treatment" was the Minor Offences (Amendment) Bill of 1961. Professor Hickling noted that this was the sole significant Bill referred to a Select Committee in the early years of Parliament. Later examples include the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill in 1974 and the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) (Amendment) Bill in 1984. The Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019 was also referred to a Select Committee, potentially marking the sixth such instance since independence.
Evolving Government Approach to Select Committees

The historical reluctance to employ the Select Committee procedure stemmed from a governmental inclination to defend drafted legislation and maintain the pace of governance. Professor Hickling suggested that this anxiety to avoid delays, rather than a distrust of the committee process itself, was the primary reason for its infrequent use. Consequently, this sometimes resulted in the broader House of Representatives becoming an unwieldy body for detailed legislative review.
Increased Use of PSSC Post-2018

Since 2018, there has been a noticeable increase in the government's willingness to engage with public and political sentiment, leading to a greater readiness to refer significant Bills to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC). This shift reflects an effort to foster broader bipartisan support for important legislation. For example, in 2022, the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022, also known as the Generational End Game (GEG) Bill, was committed to the PSSC. More recently, in 2026, three Bills—the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026, the Admiralty Jurisdiction Bill 2026, and the Freedom of Information Bill 2026—were referred to the PSSC by Azalina Othman Said, alongside the Prison (Amendment) Bill 2026 by Dr. Shamsul Anuar bin Haji Nasarah.

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How rare has select committee referral of Bills been historically?

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