COMMENT | If this Madani government is serious about killing corruption in Malaysia - evidence is, it is not - it has to not only separate the powers of the attorney-general (AG) and public prosecutor, but also ensure that bodies such as the MACC are headed by competent people and given freedom of action.

The latest proposal by MACC chief Azam Baki to have a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), made in a podcast with Berita Harian, is alarming, allowing large corruption cases (RM100 million or more) to be negotiated with criminals.

This is no “pie in the sky” as the proposal is expected to be tabled in June and will most likely be embraced by a majority of MPs to become law.

Unlike DPAs in other countries, which allow this for companies only, Azam wants this for individuals too, setting alarm bells ringing for the potential abuse of such arrangements, which adds another layer of discretion to law enforcement activities.

Recently, the AG inexplicably exercised his extensive discretionary power, moving from discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) to no further action (NFA) in the infamous...