KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform will not summon the sitting and immediate past attorneys general to explain the conditional discharge of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, chairman William Leong clarified today.
Instead, the Selayang MP said the committee will only invite them to participate in its proceedings and help it to understand the issue.
“The committee recognises and respects the power of the AG in exercising the discretion to initiate, conduct or stop any court proceedings in accordance with Article 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution.
“However, the invitation to them is to help the committee understand some issues regarding concerns over conflicts of power and interest arising, especially in relation to high-profile cases when the AG is the principal legal adviser to the government and, at the same time, as a public prosecutor as outlined under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution and Section 376 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in particular in relation to the implications and recommendations for the separation of both roles and duties,” he said in a statement.
Leong said the committee will also invite non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih), Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), and others to attend.
In the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Leong reportedly said the committee would call AG Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh and his predecessor, Tan Sri Idrus Harun, to explain the discharge not amounting to acquittal granted to Zahid, adding that a report would be presented after the proceedings were conducted.
The Opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition earlier criticised the government over Zahid’s DNAA, alleging interference in the prosecution.
Last week, the prosecutors in Zahid’s case applied for the DNAA, ostensibly to review new information obtained.
