KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The Malaysian government today announced that Tan Sri Idrus Harun has been reappointed as the attorney general (AG), and that he would be serving one year under the latest appointment.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali made the announcement today.
“It is notified that in line with Article 145(1) of the Federal Constitution, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong has assented to the reappointment of YBhg. Tan Sri Idrus bin Harun as attorney general for a period of one (1) year with effect from March 6, 2022,” Mohd Zuki said in a brief one-paragraph statement today.
Under Article 145(1), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall, on the advice of the prime minister, appoint a person — who is qualified to be a Federal Court judge — to be the attorney general.
Today’s announcement came after Idrus’s two-year term as attorney general was to officially end on Sunday (March 6).
Idrus, now aged 67, was first appointed on March 6, 2020 to be attorney general for a two-year term. Idrus replaced Tan Sri Tommy Thomas who had resigned from the position in late February 2020.
Immediately before becoming the attorney general in March 2020, Idrus was serving as a Federal Court judge.
Throughout his 42-year career, the Kedah-born Idrus — who is also a law graduate from Universiti Malaya — had served in multiple positions such as in the Attorney General’s Chambers’ (AGC) division which is tasked with drafting laws, being the head of the Federal Territory Prosecution Unit, and being a deputy public prosecutor with the AGC.
Idrus had also in the past served as senior federal counsel to both the Election Commission and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) predecessor Anti-Corruption Agency, and also as the solicitor general — the second-highest ranked AGC official after the attorney general — from 2006 to 2014.
He then served as a Court of Appeal judge for about four years, and as Federal Court judge from November 2018 until his March 2020 appointment as attorney general.
Idrus is also the older brother of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun.
Previously, on March 6, which was when Idrus’s term would have ended, news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) had reported Malaysian Bar president AG Kalidas as questioning the seeming delay in making an announcement over whether there has been an extension of Idrus’s term as attorney general.
“It would be prudent if the prime minister does not wait until the eleventh hour to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and announce the appointment in the event of vacancy or the extension of the current appointment,” Kalidas was quoted as telling FMT.
