From rebel to saviour: Has rightist Akmal ‘rewarded’ UMNO boss by turning his DNAA to NFA?

 

WHO dare say defiant UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is all out to rock the boat by putting his party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at odds with the Madani government helmed by the latter’s mentor and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim?

Absurd as it sounds, the staunch defender of race and religion has through his rebellious antic of wanting UMNO to be an opposition force alongside PAS within the Muafakat Nasional (MN) façade made a major contribution to the country’s oldest political party.

The Merlimau state assemblyman might have failed to vindicate disgraced former UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak from the 1MDB scandal but he has literally saved the skin of the latter’s successor by having diverted the sword of Damocles away from his head.

This follows the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) “no further action (NFA) decision on Zahid’s 47 prima facie charges encompassing criminal breach of trust (CBT), graft and money laundering (a hint that Zahid ids one step closer for his case to be permanently dropped).

As if cordiality still prevail between them amid their so-called clash of principles, the Melaka state EXCO for Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security did pen a ‘congratulatory note’ to Zahid by painting an impression of innocence.

“Alhamdulillah, finally the truth has been revealed,” he asserted in a Facebook post. “This means that all this while, the charges against DS Zahid Hamidi have been politically motivated regardless of the insufficient evidence base. The prayers of the persecuted will definitely be answered.”

Ramkarpal queries NFA merit

Akmal’s “no fear, no surrender” motto by forging ahead with the UMNO’s Direction in the Unity Government special convention by rallying for the Muslim ummah (solidarity) last weekend (Jan 3) has left Zahid who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman with no choice but to re-affirm his allegiance to the Madani administration.

Zahid’s rejection of any backdoor manoeuvre which could lead to the collapse of the unity government (till end of the current term) coupled with his “not wanting to be bitten by the same snake a second time on the same spot” analogy have seemingly put to rest Akmal’s ‘ill-conceived’ motive.

But whether the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) is personally/eternally grateful to his firebrand youth wing leader with the latter seemingly enjoying greater grassroots support which the former grossly lacking following his failure to live up to his “No Anwar, No DAP” vow remains to be seen.

What is obvious for now is that the AGC’s decision to label Zahid’s 47 prima facie charges as “NFA” after been classified as “DNAA” (discharge not amounting to acquittal) raises questions over the transparency of investigations into the matter by AGC.

This has prompted DAP’s National Legal Bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh to query the AGC’s statement which attributed its decision to a comprehensive review of the material before it although no mention was made as to whether it had reviewed the prima facie findings of the High Court in 2022.

Below is the justification by the Bukit Gelugor MP:

It is common knowledge that the High Court had found a prima facie case against Zahid at the end of the prosecution’s case in 2022 after the trial had commenced some four years earlier in 2019 with many witnesses having given evidence on behalf of the prosecution.

As such, there can be no doubt that such findings were based on evidence which Zahid was obliged to rebut until the prosecution applied for an order of DNAA for all the said 47 charges on Sept 4, 2023.

The AGC’s statement clearly lacks substance and amounts to a mere general statement that it is now satisfied that the matter ought not to be proceeded with.

Given the above, the AGC must explain why it is now of the view that the prima facie findings of the High Court against Zahid do not carry weight, especially when those findings were based on its own evidence led in court.

With respect, a failure by the AGC to provide a satisfactory explanation will likely further erode confidence in which it is ill-advised.” 

 

- Focus Malaysia