Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi has urged incoming Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh to expedite the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into his predecessor Tommy Thomas’ memoir.
He said the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to grant a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) for Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should serve as an impetus for Ahmad Terrirudin, who will start work on Thursday, to get cracking on the matter.
Puad also claimed that if the government continues to drag its feet on this issue, it would be a disservice to certain individuals, such as jailed former premier Najib Abdul Razak, and the country’s justice system.
“Do not delay it any longer. The people are bored of waiting. Furthermore, this is a cabinet decision.
“What is so special about Thomas to the point of being afraid to commence the RCI?” he asked in a Facebook post this evening.
On the same note, Puad acknowledged that the government is “trapped”.
“If (the government) is stern (in pushing for the RCI), it will be accused of intervention. If left aside, more will become victims in the long run,” he added.
Earlier, Umno secretary-general Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki claimed that the DNAA for Zahid proved that he was a victim of political persecution by Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his 22-month stint as prime minister of the Pakatan Harapan administration.
Mahathir had appointed Thomas as the attorney-general after the 2018 watershed general election and it was under the latter’s watch that both Najib and Zahid were charged.
Najib landed in prison last August but Zahid, who is also the Umno president, returned to the corridors of power after forming an alliance with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim two months later.
The prosecution, whose decision to seek a DNAA for Zahid drew brickbats from various quarters, had cited selective prosecution as one of the 11 grounds.
Meanwhile, Thomas, in his memoir, had addressed issues such as the appointment of judges, alleged interference by the executive in the judiciary, and claims of selective prosecution.
The Madani government had announced plans to set up an RCI into the memoir in January. This was after the cabinet reviewed proposals made by a special task force that probed the book.
The special task force, which was set up by former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in October 2021, suggested that an RCI be formed to look into the matter.
The task force also recommended that Thomas be probed for sedition and breaking government secrecy laws, and alleged that the former attorney-general himself had interfered with judicial appointments.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the RCI was not meant to be a witch hunt, but would focus on institutional reforms.
However, the RCI has yet to be formed. - Mkini
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