PN: Anwar pre-empting Dewan Rakyat speaker in calls to debate Zahid's case

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has overstepped his jurisdiction in declining to debate the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) granted to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Parliament, said Perikatan Nasional.

The power to decide on any motion to debate a matter in the House lies with the Dewan Rakyat speaker, said PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan.

“It is clear that the prime minister has made a statement that exceeds his authority and role of the head of parliamentary proceedings, preempting the decision that the speaker of the House should rightfully make,” said Takiyuddin in a statement last night.

It is vital that this case be debated in Parliament as it has an impact on many things including the judiciary as well as the image and integrity of the government and the country, he said.

The dissatisfaction and negative responses from the public to the results of this case further prove how important it is to discuss this case in the Dewan Rakyat, he added.

PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan

Takiyuddin explained that there is no issue of sub judice in this case as the court has already granted the DNAA to Zahid.

He said Anwar’s reasoning that the attorney-general is not a minister or a member of Parliament cannot be accepted either.

“All this time, all legal issues raised in Parliament by the prime minister himself and his party while they were in the opposition received answers and clear explanations from the relevant ministers, including on the court cases involving 1MDB and such,” he pointed out.

PN believes that this case must be debated in Parliament because of the negative perception among the people about the decision of the case because it is closely linked to the question of the integrity of the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the government.

“As such, PN calls upon and hopes that the Dewan Rakyat speaker will make a respected ruling on this matter based on the rules and law in a fair manner without fear or favour and not to bow down to pressure from any quarters including from the government,” Takiyuddin said.

Anwar had previously said Parliament is not the place to debate the DNAA granted to Zahid as there is a separation of powers between the three branches of government - the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. - Mkini