KOTA KINABALU, May 17 — The empirical study of the separation of powers of the Attorney General (AG) and the Public Prosecutor (PP) is expected to be completed this year, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the study had been conducted in Canada earlier this month and was expected to continue in Australia in June before concluding in the United Kingdom, with the cooperation of several universities.

"The in-depth study on the states and the comparisons within Malaysia might extend to 2025 because our commitment to Parliament is to try to find a comprehensive solution within two years... to obtain a report to be submitted to the Cabinet meeting for evaluation,” she said when asked to comment on the progress of the study after a working visit to the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex here today.

On May 8, Azalina led the Malaysian delegation to conduct an empirical study of the separation of powers of the AG and PP in Ottawa, Canada, to identify a suitable model for Malaysia.

In August last year, Azalina announced that the government would undertake a comprehensive empirical study within a year before finalising the proposal for the separation of powers between the AG and the PP.

She said about 19 existing laws as well as the Federal Constitution would need to be amended to implement the separation of powers. — Bernama