A parliamentary subcommittee approved a bill on Monday to prevent jailed lawmakers from receiving a monthly salary.

The subpanel under the House Steering Committee gave the bill the green light as the ruling People Power Party boycotted the proceedings to protest a different legislative change. 

If the bill becomes law, detained lawmakers will only receive the salary retroactively after they are acquitted or pardoned, or upon dismissal of the charges.

The subcommittee passed another bill to allow the National Assembly to issue orders requiring the presence of a witness not only at a parliamentary audit or an investigation, but also at a hearing.

The amendments to the existing legislation would also prohibit witnesses from refusing to submit documents on the grounds of privacy or trade secrets.

Witnesses would be allowed to appear remotely via video if they were unable to attend the National Assembly due to illness, injury or overseas travel.