A-G to decide whether Anwar can attend Parliament, says Zahid

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim walks out of the Dewan Rakyat last November. Putrajaya says Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP who is now in jail, could apply to attend Parliament. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 26, 2015.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today differed with his deputy's statement that the ministry would consider if jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim applies to attend Parliament, saying the matter has to be referred to the Attorney-General.

"I beg to differ with my deputy minister who made the media statement, the case must be referred to the A-G.

"There is no need for individual opinions, whether among ministers or politicians, we have to leave the responsibility to legal practitioners especially the A-G to interpret based on the provisions in the federal constitution, and other clauses in related laws,” he said at a press conference.

Yesterday Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Anwar, the Permatang Pauh MP who is serving a five-year jail term for sodomy, must apply to the home ministry to attend Parliament next month.

He said Anwar needed to apply to both the Prisons Department and Parliament, before the home ministry could decide.

Wan Junaidi said Anwar's case was unique as it was the first time such a situation had arisen and as such, there was a need to study the matter closely from both the legal point of view as well as the prison’s regulations.

"We will consider if there is an application," he said.

The opposition leader is still Permatang Pauh MP after his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, presented a petition for a royal pardon to Istana Negara on Tuesday afternoon, just before the 14-day deadline expired.

The Federal Constitution states that the seat will not be declared vacant until the Pardons Board has deliberated and made a decision.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, said that Anwar was still an MP pending a decision on his petition to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a royal pardon.

On February 10, a five-man bench led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria found Anwar guilty of having carnal intercourse with his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

He was alleged to have committed the offence at a unit of the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

- TMI