KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) is set to provide an explanation in Parliament for his right-hand man Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (Bagan Datuk-BN) conditional discharge from his graft charges.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang-BN) confirmed this during her winding-up speech on the 12th Malaysia Plan’s mid-term review.
“He (Anwar) gave a ‘good’ sign, meaning he would be answering, God willing, (he will answer) tomorrow between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. So, you can ask questions (about Zahid’s discharge) then,” she told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Azalina was responding to a question by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Bharu-PN) whether Anwar would be present to provide an explanation as per his statement last Friday.
She said the government’s commitment is to act fair, so it can conduct the study of separating the public prosecutor from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
The Pengerang MP added that the success in amending the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 will require two-thirds of lawmakers in Parliament, and would take two to three years for implementation.
She also reiterated that the unity government is an administration that “walks the talk”, while the opposition adopts the “we don’t walk, we don’t talk” approach.
The granting of a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) to Zahid has been politicised since the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on September 4.
Following widespread backlash from certain quarters critiquing the AGC’s decision to request for Zahid’s DNAA, Anwar said former AG Tan Sri Idrus Harun had decided to submit the application after reviewing the facts surrounding the case.
Previously, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli urged the public to be fair in its criticism of the government over the DNAA granted to Zahid.
“The fact is that the AG had decided to (inform) the prime minister of his decision (to request the DNAA). If you were (Anwar), would you tell him (the AG) to do otherwise?
“Doing so would mean interference (by the government), but when he (AG) decided on the DNAA and (Anwar) didn’t interfere, the public is now saying there was interference (by the government).”
The economy minister also pointed to how Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, had allowed cabinet members to raise their concerns over Zahid’s DNAA as evidence of how the government has nothing to hide. – September 18, 2023