KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied that he had a hand in Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi getting a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for all 47 charges involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
He said the decision was made by the attorney general (AG), and he has questioned those who hurled allegations against him including the Opposition bloc.
“The decision was made by the AG. Why make baseless allegations saying that I interfered [in the decision]?
“I only asked what were the reasons,” Anwar told the Parliament today in his winding-up speech for the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review debate.
The Mid-Term Review was passed earlier with a majority voice vote.
The Opposition MPs however, before the vote was called, had walked out in protest of a verbal tiff between Anwar and Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Putrajaya MP Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
When addressing grouses over the DNAA, Anwar noted that many people are not satisfied over the matter including his allies but former AG Tan Sri Idrus Harun has given strong reasons for the decision.
"The decision was made by a former AG appointed by Pagoh MP," he said, referring to Perikatan Nasional chairman and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"[Idrus] gave reasons that were strong, for him. I listened and if I gave an explanation I would be biased. In Singapore when I was asked, I answered, but I was advised not to add [anything more]. If I comment on the 11 reasons, it would seem as if I was involved.
"I cannot answer unless this is the discretion of the AG," he added, explaining that he had not discussed the matter with Idrus.
Additionally, Anwar said DNAAs are not a new thing, citing previous cases where prima facie was established but later discarded, such as those involving Long Samat, Johnson Tan Han Seng, Karpal Singh, and the Kim Jong-Nam alleged assassination.
Responding to Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman's interjection, Anwar accused Putrajaya MP Radzi of failing to listen to his explanation as he was part of Muhyiddin's administration then.
“This is because [the Opposition] are so used to that system and they think that I would also do the same,” Anwar said referring to PN, claiming that there have also been DNAA decisions involving the latter.
Earlier during Anwar’s explanation, he had believed that Radzi was laughing at him
“You can laugh, you laugh Putrajaya, because you did it before,” Anwar said, referring to Radzi.
In response, Radzi immediately stood up to defend himself and demanded Anwar withdraw the allegation.
This caused an uproar between the two political divides, resulting in a shouting match that lasted over 40 minutes resulting in Radzi being ejected from the Parliament for refusing to accept Anwar's remark that Radzi had been part of the federal government.
Opposition lawmakers then followed Radzi with a walk-out.
