The Attorney General’s Chambers’ withdrawal of charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has left Pakatan Harapan in a very tricky situation, a government MP said.
The parliamentarian, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Malaysiakini, divulged that no members of the coalition are over the moon over the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) granted to Zahid by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday (Sept 4).
“Some MPs are upset over this, they have no reason to justify it (the DNAA granted to Zahid) so they avoid talking about it.
“What I can say is there is no gag order issued to bar MPs from talking about this issue. It’s more like how do we react to this? If you ask anyone from Harapan, no one is happy,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted yesterday.
“On the day we formed the (federal) government with BN, we should have known that this would happen. That’s the price (we have to pay),” he claimed.
Malaysiakini contacted nine MPs from Harapan’s component parties - PKR, DAP, and Amanah - but only two agreed to comment on the matter, with only one - Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan - willing to go on record.
Pointing out that the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections are still ongoing, the Harapan MP who wished to remain anonymous expressed concerns that the DNAA could impact voter turnout this Saturday.
Therefore, he called on all quarters to cease discussions and debates pertaining to the DNAA to prevent any distraction to the by-elections.
“This a very crucial moment for the government. The more we talk about this issue... we might affect the outcome and it is crucial for us to maintain the two-thirds (parliamentary) majority.
“Even after we win the by-elections, who knows whether (Muar MP) Syed Saddiq (Syed Abdul Rahman) will continue to be pro-government or not? This is why the two-thirds majority is so important,” he asserted.
Just enough for two-thirds
The Anwar Ibrahim administration came to power last November with 148 MPs on the government bench - just enough for a two-thirds majority that should, in theory, allow the government to amend the Federal Constitution.
The 148 included Syed Saddiq.
At present, however, the government has 147 MPs after the Pulai seat fell vacant following the death of Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub.
If Amanah wins back the Pulai seat on Saturday, this would give the government 148 MPs again.
Syed Saddiq previously threatened to withdraw support for the coalition government, following the DNAA given to Zahid.
If Muda goes through with its threat, the government will be back to 147 MPs.
Meanwhile, Sany also confirmed with Malaysiakini there are Amanah and Harapan grassroots members who are dissatisfied with the DNAA and have claimed there was government interference in the case.
However, the Amanah central committee member said he strongly believes Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration is not involved in making the calls for Zahid’s case.
“Of course, everyone is entitled to their own views but the judiciary has made the decision in accordance with the law, regulations, and the Federal Constitution.
“And as the ‘rakyat’, they have to accept it. If they are not satisfied, go ahead and make an appeal,” Sany said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
Govt denies involvement
On Tuesday, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended Anwar against major backlash over the DNAA granted to Zahid.
Saifuddin repeated his stand that Article 145 of the Federal Constitution empowers the attorney-general to prosecute or withdraw any charges.
On the same day, Anwar also denied any involvement in the AGC’s decision, saying the matter was decided by former attorney-general Idrus Harun.
“The AG had full authority and he gave his reasons. It is the AG’s decision and I can’t interfere,” Anwar was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.
Meanwhile, a grassroots leader from Amanah - who did not want to be named - reiterated party calls for Idrus to explain why prosecutors withdrew their case against Zahid.
Pointing out that the case is too technical for ordinary Malaysians to understand, he urged the government to hold a special briefing for all members of the coalition government so Idrus could provide a detailed explanation.
“We also need reinforcement from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said to confirm that the coalition government was not involved in the decision and that it was made by the former attorney-general (Idrus),” he said. - Mkini
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