KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) has reminded the opposition that the attorney-general (AG) responsible for proposing the conditional discharge for Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Bagan Datuk-BN) was appointed during the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
In reiterating his non-involvement in the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) granted to his deputy prime minister, Anwar underscored his commitment to not tolerating the “systems” of the past that allowed corrupt politicians to evade justice.
“The DNAA (granted to Zahid) is not an exceptional case. There have been past precedents where the court delivered a DNAA verdict after prima facie was established, including a case involving an opposition MP who I won’t name for fear of offending them.
“At the end of the day, the case is in the AG’s hands. Putrajaya (Bersatu MP Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin) knows (this because) the past administration had the same AG (Tan Sri Idrus Harun), that’s why they (opposition) won’t listen to my explanation (on Zahid’s DNAA).
“They are used to the previous system and they thought that I would continue with it, which is why I have to answer firmly (on Zahid’s DNAA issue),” Anwar said during his winding-up speech on the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review in Parliament today.
Idrus, whose retirement as AG came into effect the day after Zahid’s DNAA was granted on September 4, was previously appointed to the post by then-prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s (Pagoh-PN) administration.
When pressed by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar-Muda) on whether he had forgotten his vow to not accede to corrupt demands, Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said that such accusations are baseless.
“The decision (to submit a request for a DNAA) is up to the AG’s discretion. Why are you making reckless and rude accusations attacking the prime minister, claiming that I interfered with the (DNAA submission)?
“What is your evidence (that I interfered in the DNAA submission)? The AG (Idrus) was chosen by your leader (Muhyiddin) and I didn’t change the AG. Now, it’s as if you are pushing me to order the AG to charge (Zahid).
“If I were to order the AG to press charges to be a hero, I would be going against Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution (on the AG’s powers, exercisable at his discretion to conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence),” Anwar said.
Highlighting that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has pledged to persist in their investigations into Zahid’s Yayasan Akalbudi corruption case and to present any possible evidence to the courts, Anwar also reiterated that he had no influence on Idrus’s choice to submit a DNAA.
“When the AG made the decision, I asked him (about it). I didn’t discuss the matter with him, I just asked him to explain what were the reasons (behind the decision).
“I know that many people are unhappy (with Zahid’s DNAA), that’s their right to be displeased. I sympathise with the current AG (Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh) who has to address the matter when the decision was made by the AG appointed by Pagoh (Muhyiddin),” Anwar said.
Previously, Anwar said that Idrus had decided to submit the DNAA application after reviewing the facts surrounding the case, which involved 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering against Zahid.
Anwar said Idrus had gone through the approximately 200-page representation letter submitted by Zahid’s lawyers before deciding to request for Zahid’s conditional release. – September 19, 2023