Pakatan: AG must be terminated with immediate effect for breach of confidentiality after advising King on Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council has today reiterated its call for Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Idrus Harun to be terminated with immediate effect or resign.

The Opposition coalition made this call claiming that the AG was no longer seen to be able to carry out his official duties professionally and neutral in enforcing the law.

“The PH Presidential Council takes note of media reports which raised views that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong should accept his own legal advice through bodies such as the Privy Council.

“The matter arose following a series of general statements by the AG including the most recent in relation to the issue of disclosure of support for the Prime Minister as well as the June 25 statement then in relation to the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and advice of the Cabinet of Ministers who have gone overboard and belittling the view of the Malay Rulers,” the PH Presidential Council said in a statement today.

On June 27, PH had made this call for the AG to be sacked for breach of confidentiality when he issued a public statement to clarify the legal position under the Federal Constitution regarding the King’s constitutional functions to summon for Parliament to meet.

“Although Article 145 (2) of the Federal Constitution states that — ‘it shall be the duty of the AG to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Cabinet or any minister upon such legal matters — however, the question arises as to whether the AG can now perform his functions as impartial,” said the PH Presidential Council.

The statement, co-signed by PKR president and PH chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Amanah Negara’s president Mohammad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also reminded that there are certain high profile cases like Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman who was detained by the Anti-Corruption Commission Malaysia (MACC) on May 27, but until today there is no prosecution order from AG.

“This is really unusual when a person is detained for more than a month the past but has yet to be prosecuted, and certainly raises a question mark  whether there is other motivation by delaying the prosecution in court,” they said.

The PH coalition has previously claimed the AG’s statement was in violation of standard norms in upholding the rule of law and the Federal Constitution, as Article 145(2) of the Federal Constitution stipulates that it shall be the duty of the AG to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Cabinet or any minister upon such legal matters.

In a statement issued on June 25, Idrus said the Cabinet is the one that determines when both houses of Parliament would meet, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s constitutional power to summon for Parliament to meet is at the Cabinet’s advice.