SHAH ALAM - The controversy surrounding the decision to discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi from 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering involving the Akalbudi Foundation funds could only be answered by former Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun.
Former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said he also doubts whether Idrus will attend the Special Committee on Human Rights, Elections, and Institutional Reform (JKPK) meeting to provide an explanation on the issue.
"What is Idrus's plan for making that decision? We will never know because I think Tan Sri Idrus Harun will not appear to explain.
"He will retire and disappear after retirement. Even if he comes, he may give a standard answer, a civil servant's response," he said.
He said this during the Keluar Sekejap Podcast programme, which he co-hosted with former Umno Information Chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan on Wednesday.
On Sunday, the JKPK chairman, William Leong Jee Keen, said that they had invited Idrus and the Attorney General, Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh, to participate in the committee's meeting to provide explanations on various issues raised during the upcoming session of the Dewan Rakyat next month.
He said the invitation was to allow the committee to conduct a comprehensive study of various issues, including the proposal to separate the roles of the Public Prosecutor from the Attorney General's Office, as well as issues related to the DNAA decision involving Zahid.
Khairy further added that after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim provided an explanation on the issue in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, the people can now only point fingers at Idrus as he was responsible for the case.
"The answer has been given in Parliament; I don't think the Prime Minister can provide any further answers because I think he won't scrutinise each and every argument received by the Attorney General because, logically, the decision was made by Tan Sri Idrus.
"I don't need to explain the decision; this was his right and power when he was the Attorney General under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution.
"So, it's over, and I don't interfere; that's what the Prime Minister said," he said.
He emphasised that, in general, the Prime Minister seemed to be trying to deflect the issue, but in the end, it is up to the people to decide whether they want to believe it or are still dissatisfied with the decision.
"What is important is, firstly, that it is up to the people whether to believe it or not.
"Secondly, all controversies related to the DNAA issue involving Zahid are solely on Tan Sri Idrus Harun; as long as he doesn't say anything, we point fingers at him alone," he explained.