Private Agencies (Amendment) Bill Tabled For First Reading

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Private Agencies (Amendment) Bill 2025, which among others seeks to improve the provisions relating to the issuance and renewal of licence to a person who carries on a business of private agency, was tabled for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, when tabling the bill, said it would be tabled for the second reading at the same session.

The bill seeks to amend the Private Agencies Act 1971 (Act 27) by introducing a new subsection (2A) to provide for the validity period of a licence issued under the act to be until Dec 31 of the same calendar year or the following calendar year.

It also seeks to delete Section 5 of Act 27, which requires the list of licensed private agencies to be published in the gazette every March to enable the public to check with regard to private agencies that have been licensed and cancelled.

 In line with current developments, all governance of private agencies fully utilises the Home Ministry’s internal system.

Through this internal system, the ministry has provided facilities for the public to check and search for the status of any private agency through online checking at any time.

Clause 4 seeks to amend section 9 of Act 27 to empower the Inspector General of Police to issue a letter of approval on the application of a licensed private agency to employ a person in his private agency.

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) tabled a motion under Standing Order 18(1) for the Dewan Rakyat to deliberate on the case of Malaysian citizen Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who is on death row in Singapore for drug trafficking.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul later ruled that the motion would be deliberated at the Special Chamber this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA