The attorney-general currently serves as both the government’s chief legal adviser and the head of public prosecution.

This dual role has raised questions about fairness and has been a point of contention for Pakatan Harapan in past elections.

Azalina told the Dewan Rakyat that while the government is committed to reforms, such a major change must be carefully studied first, with an ongoing preliminary study expected to be completed by next year.

“We are exploring the possibility of separation, but it must be done responsibly. We cannot afford to rush this process,” she said.

“We need to ensure that the process is well-structured and based on solid grounds. That is why we are taking the time to conduct thorough studies before making any final decisions.”

The government is conducting empirical studies on the separation of powers in Canada, Australia and the UK.

Azalina led a bipartisan delegation to Canada from May 5 to 10 and Australia from June 2 to 6 to study the matter.

She previously said the study was to look into institutional protection against the appointment and dismissal of the public prosecutor, and accountability, especially the mechanism for checks and balances.

The study would also look into the degree of the attorney-general’s involvement in setting criminal justice policies, the authority to halt prosecutions initiated by the public prosecutor, and the organisational structure of the public prosecutor’s office.

In April, reform NGO Bersih expressed concern that the government might not carry out the separation of the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor.

It asked Putrajaya to give a “public guarantee” that the separation of roles will occur before the tabling of the 2026 budget in October next year.