KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has acknowledged that his deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing criminal charges in court.

At the same time, he said Ahmad Zahid should be commended for resisting an alleged request by former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to close down Umno, Malay daily Harian Metro reported last night.

"There are those who disdain Ahmad Zahid. He is facing court cases, but we cannot deny one thing, which is that he has courage.

"If Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were to call others and ask to close Umno, will face (action) if it’s not shut down.

"But my brother (Ahmad Zahid) answered: cannot close as Umno is the Malay party and has a history of fighting for the nation.

"I salute him for that,” Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, was quoted saying during the Jelajah Perpaduan Madani Alor Setar event at Alor Mengkudu in Kedah last night.

Anwar was also reported saying that the cooperation between PH and BN should be strengthened for the harmony of the unity government.

Ahmad Zahid is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.

Ahmad Zahid currently has two criminal cases against him, one which is still on trial at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur and one which was on trial at the High Court in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Ahmad Zahid has described the KL trial in which he was charged with 47 counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and corruption as a politically-motivated prosecution.

While testifying in his own defence in June 2022, Ahmad Zahid claimed he had privately met with Dr Mahathir in June 2018 in a meeting initiated by two other individuals, further claiming that the latter had asked him to dissolve Umno.

Ahmad Zahid claimed he had refused to "save” himself by leaving Umno to join Dr Mahathir's then party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, claiming that he was later threatened after the meeting that something would be done to him if he does not dissolve Umno. Ahmad Zahid had in the trial also highlighted he was charged in October 2018.

Ahmad Zahid's trial was previously scheduled to continue next week on August 7 to 10, but it is understood that the trial would instead continue on other scheduled dates. Other previously scheduled trial dates are August 21 to 24, September 4 to 8, October 30 to 31, November 13 to 17, November 20 to 24, and December 11 to 15.

The High Court in Shah Alam had on September 23, 2022 acquitted Ahmad Zahid of all 40 charges in a corruption case.

Ahmad Zahid was later reported to have sent a representation letter to ask for the prosecution to discontinue its appeal against his acquittal.

The prosecution’s appeal against Ahmad Zahid’s acquittal has yet to be heard and is scheduled for case management at the Court of Appeal on September 18.

Last month, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke told the Chinese-language paper Sin Chew Daily that Ahmad Zahid would still have to go through trial at court as any court cases have to go through the court process to be decided, but also spoke of the need to accept the reality that he is representing Umno and BN which is part of the unity government and of the need to work with him due to his party roles.