Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Ahmad Kamal has filed a motion for the Dewan Rakyat to demand the attorney-general to explain the dropping of corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
A notice for the motion under Standing Order 18 was submitted this morning, according to a timestamp on a copy of the notice shared by the Bersatu politician on his Facebook page.
The motion calls for the upcoming session beginning Monday next week to be adjourned to demand the attorney-general to explain the decision to the Dewan Rakyat.
“The attorney-general needs to state the basis for withdrawing the 47 charges, since the court has already ruled there is a prima facie case and the deputy prime minister has been ordered to enter his defence,” he wrote in the notice addressed to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul.
He argued that the motion is definite, urgent, and of public interest, and therefore fulfils the criteria for invoking Standing Order 18.
He said this is because the credibility of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the judicial system is at stake, and the accused person in this case is an MP as well as a senior member of the federal administration.
“The motion is also important to ensure there is no government interference especially those in the nation’s top leadership; in high-profile cases involving politicians, especially a senior member of Malaysia’s federal government,” he said.
The upcoming six-day parliamentary session is currently scheduled to present and debate the mid-term review for the 12th Malaysia Plan.
The 47 charges against Zahid were for alleged criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
On Monday, the prosecution told the court it was withdrawing the charges and asked for the case to be dismissed but not amounting to acquittal, which the court granted.
It told the court there were 10 or 11 reasons for the withdrawal, including to allow a more comprehensive and complete investigation into the case.
Amid public backlash, the AGC said it had “cogent” reasons for withdrawing the charges, but the Malaysian Bar said the AGC’s explanation was “devoid of proper justifications”.
The AGC’s decision also reignited calls for the role of attorney-general and public prosecutor to be separated.
Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Yayasan Akalbudi case cannot be debated in the House.
“We cannot discuss court cases in Parliament... Parliament is not a courtroom where you can ask questions and we try to answer, because the attorney-general is not a member of Parliament and not a minister,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama today.
According to Bernama, Anwar was responding to the call by PKR Youth vice-chief Atyrah Hanim Razali yesterday for an urgent Parliament sitting to be held to discuss Zahid’s DNAA. - Mkini
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