Set one-year deadline for AG, PP power separation - Guan Eng

PARLIAMENT | The government should set a one-year deadline to complete the separation of powers between the attorney-general and public prosecutor, said Lim Guan Eng (Harapan-Bagan).

This comes amid criticism against the discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) granted to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“Only with this move can we, I believe, convince the rakyat that the spirit of reformation in this government is still burning.

“If we can give a period of one year (as a deadline), this will convince the rakyat of the government’s good intentions,” Lim (above) said while debating the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Currently, the same person plays the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor.

The DAP national chairperson also urged the current attorney-general to provide a more detailed explanation of several recent controversial decisions made in high-profile cases.

He said the government must acknowledge a lot of dissatisfaction over the decisions, including from the Malaysian Bar.

“I think a more complete and transparent explanation will be able to convince the rakyat of the decisions made by the attorney-general,” Lim said.

Calls for the separation of powers between the attorney-general and public prosecutor intensified following the DNAA given to Zahid last Monday.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously reaffirmed his government’s commitment to separate the roles and powers of the two but pointed out that it cannot be pushed through so quickly.

“You can’t bulldoze (the proposal) in a few weeks… You need to have a two-thirds majority (in Parliament) to affect this reform,” he said.

The government has since announced that two special task forces will be formed to expedite the separation of powers between the two roles.

Amirudin Shari (Harapan-Gombak) also urged the government to expedite the separation of powers between the attorney-general and public prosecutor in his debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

He pointed out that similarly controversial decisions in high-profile cases also occurred during the Perikatan Nasional administration.

If the two roles are not separated, he said, similar controversies will crop up again in the future regardless of which government is in power.

“That is why, I believe, the process of the committee (in looking into the separation of powers) should be held via live telecast like a public hearing because this has become an issue of the rakyat,” Amirudin said.

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