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Key Highlights
Zahid DNAA ignites firestorm
Reformasi rattled
Cops want Hadi charged
Zahid DNAA ignites firestorm
The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) on Monday withdrew 47 charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his Yayasan Akalbudi corruption case.
This led to the court - which had to abide by a constitutional provision allowing the attorney-general to withdraw charges at a whim - to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for Zahid.
What this means is that Zahid is no longer on trial, but can be charged again for the same offence.
Zahid, however, will be appealing the DNAA in order to get a full acquittal.
The DNAA triggered a major backlash against the government, to which top leaders initially responded by saying it was a "court decision".
DAP and Amanah, meanwhile, pressed attorney-general Idrus Harun - who served his last day in office yesterday - to explain the decision behind the DNAA.
The AGC later released a statement saying only that the reasons given were "cogent" (clear, logical, and convincing).
However, some reasons were also given in court on Monday, namely:
To allow the MACC to carry out further investigation
To avoid the possibility Zahid was selectively prosecuted
To wait for the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on former attorney-general Tommy Thomas' memoir.
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Reformasi rattled
Among those shaken by Zahid's DNAA were PKR lawmakers.
Party veteran and Anwar stalwart Hassan Karim questioned whether people could still believe in the "reformasi" slogan after the AGC decision.
Meanwhile, Subang MP Wong Chen said the DNAA showed the urgent need for the government to enact reforms in order to ensure the independence of prosecutors and law enforcement such as the MACC.
However, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail - who is also the home minister - defended the government, saying that Putrajaya was not involved in the DNAA decision.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - who is the PKR president - also denied any involvement, adding that he would not interfere with the attorney-general's full authority to withdraw charges.
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Cops want Hadi charged
Police will propose to the AGC for PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to be charged under the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act.
This is over a speech he gave in which he questioned the authority of the Pardons Board.
Each state has its own Pardons Board, with members appointed by the respective state sultans or governors, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the case of the Federal Territories.
This is not the first time police have investigated Hadi this year.
In July, Hadi was probed for alleging that DAP aims to twist the meaning of Islam in the Federal Constitution to suit a liberal Western agenda.
In June, he was investigated for claiming that the Anwar administration was on the verge of collapse, prompting speculation that PN was attempting to engineer a political coup.
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Views that matter
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Other news that matter
The government is reviewing consultation fees of general practitioners (GPs) under the Madani medical scheme.
BN's election petition for Gua Musang has been struck out after the legal team representing the coalition was fired.
DAP will be holding its AGM this Sunday, and has invited BN and Umno to attend as guests.
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