Pakatan Rakyat MPs are insisting that the power to allow opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to attend Parliament lies with Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and not the attorney-general (AG).

“We as lawyers have written to Zahid Hamidi on Feb 25 to allow Anwar Ibrahim to be taken from Sungai Buloh prison to the Parliament from March 9 to April 9,” Padang Serai MP N Surendran told a press conference today, alongside DAP and PAS representatives.

S urendran ( right, with Anwar ), who is also a member of Anwar’s legal team said this in response to Zahid’s statement yesterday claiming that he has no power to allow Anwar to attend Parliament.

Zahid told reporters that it is the AG’s jurisdiction to decide whether Anwar can attend the upcoming parliamentary session pending his pardon application.

His statement contradicts that of his deputy Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar just a day before, who said that Anwar needs permission from the Dewan Rakyat speaker and the Prisons Department director-general, although the Home Ministry can weigh in if the Prisons Department cannot decide.

'Zahid shirking responsibility'

Meanwhile, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar accused Zahid of trying to shirk his responsibilities.

“This is completely wrong and plainly an attempt to evade responsibility. The Prisons Department is under the Home Ministry, and not the attorney-general.

“Only the home minister and the federal government have the authority to release Anwar for parliamentary sessions.

"Zahid must agree (that this is so) and direct the Prisons Department accordingly,” she said, reading from a press statement.

She added that the Prisons Department director-general has the power to allow prisoners to be brought outside the prison under Section 31(1)(a) of the Prisons Act 1995.