JKPK invites AG, ex-AG to provide explanations, next month

KUALA LUMPUR - The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform (JKPK) has invited former Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Idrus Harun and AG Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh to be involved in a committee meeting to provide clarification on several issues that arose in the Dewan Rakyat next month.

JKPK chairman William Leong Jee Keen said the invitation was to enable the committee to conduct a thorough investigation regarding some of the issues that will be laid out to Idrus and Terrirudin.

He said that it included the proposal to separate the role of the Public Prosecutor from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) besides issues related to the order of discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) granted to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently.

"JKPK recognises and respects the power of the AG in exercising his discretion to initiate, conduct or stop any court proceedings in accordance with Article 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution.

"However, the invitation to the two AGs is to help JKPK understand some issues regarding concerns about conflicts of power and interests that arise especially in relation to high-profile cases when the AG is the main legal advisor to the government and at the same, as a prosecutor.

"The matter is outlined under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution and Section 376 of the Criminal Procedure Code particularly in relation to the implications and recommendations for the separation of the two roles and duties," he told Astro Awani today.

Commenting further, he said JKPK has also invited several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election (Bersih) and the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) to the meeting.

In the meantime, he said the Cabinet had also agreed to refer the policy scope for the political funding law to JKPK.

Accordingly, he said that JKPK will look into and study the proposal for the Political Funding Act to keep ensuring that democratic institutions in Malaysia were free from unhealthy and undemocratic activities. - AWANI