Strange for Parliament to interfere in judicial affairs - Nur Jazlan

JOHOR BAHRU - The act of the Parliament Special Select Committee summoning Attorney General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh and former Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun concerning Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi case is described as strange.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that such an action showed the Parliament interfered in the affairs of the Attorney General’s Chambers as if it questioned the judge’s decision of Zahid’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

“I was shocked. Even American Congressmen and the United Kingdom Members of Parliament who have been practising democracy for decades had never held proceedings to investigate the court’s decision.

“Even the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself had explained that he did not interfere in the decision made by the Attorney General as it is enshrined in Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution.

“But why suddenly yesterday, the Parliament Special Committee acted beyond the Constitution?” he said in a statement on Facebook today.

The Pulai division Umno leader had questioned the unity government which wanted to serve the political will of the opposition that they were willing to set aside the principle of not interfering in the affairs of the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“As the former PAC chairman who investigated the 1MDB case, PAC had called witnesses, but many refused to give explanations when their testimony could prejudice the facts of the case if the prosecution continued as the facts had been disseminated to the general public.

“After all, the Parliament Special Committee members are not lawyers or professionals in criminal law like in the Attorney General’s Chambers and also court judges.

“Does the Parliament now openly question the legal professionals and legal institutions’ moves? Isn’t the act of questioning the court’s decision after the judge had received and made a decision based on the explanation of 11 points from the Attorney General’s Chambers also considered Contempt of Court?” he asked.

It was reported that the Parliament Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform might call other witnesses besides the Attorney General and former Attorney General during the proceedings of Zahid’s DNAA.

The committee’s chairman William Leong Jee Keen said that his party would discuss to determine the issue and the witnesses that should be called.