Talk to PM about AG’s powers, Azalina told

 

Under the constitution, the attorney-general has twin roles as chief legal adviser to the government, as well as being the public prosecutor.

PETALING JAYA: Former deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said was urged today to talk to the prime minister about separating the attorney-general’s twin roles as government legal adviser and that of the public prosecutor.

As Azalina had been appointed a special adviser to prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, she should bring up this important matter to the highest level of authority, said Cynthia Gabriel, executive director of the anti-corruption watchdog, Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).

Letting the prime minister know about the importance (of separating the AG’s powers) would allow him to bring the matter up to Parliament, Gabriel said at an online forum on a report by electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 calling for the immediate separation of AG and Public Prosecutor.

Cynthia said the AG had failed to act on some cases involving politicians. “We know that some Umno MPs had left the party and moved to Bersatu. Although some had corruption cases, the AG still did not pursue the case and this could be due to political interest,” she said.

She called for public pressure on all parties to include the issue in their manifestos for the next general election.

Azalina, who was also at the forum, said the separation of the AG’s powers was needed “to avoid any more abuse of power” so that future attorney-generals would not be politically motivated and manipulated by those in power. - FMT