The Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) withdrawal of its appeal over Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption charges only dented the agency’s already tattered image, Muda said today.
The youth party said the decision made it seem like the AGC is compliant with political pressure.
“The agency, which is supposed to act independently, is now being questioned as it seems to be compliant with political pressure,” it said in a statement today.
Yesterday, the prosecution team in Zahid’s Foreign Visa System corruption case withdrew its appeal against Zahid’s acquittal in the Court of Appeal, saying they found strong facts and basis under the law to leave the High Court ruling be.
In an immediate response, Zahid said “Alhamdulillah” (praise be to God) in a post uploaded to Facebook.
Unimpressed, Muda said the AGC’s decision to withdraw its appeal based on Zahid’s representation reflects a serious problem in the nation’s legal system.
“The AGC said there is ‘no strong basis’ but before this, they brought 40 charges to court. If there is a lack of basis, why charge Zahid in the first place?” it asked.
Muda added that the case only strengthens the perception that the prosecution is being used as a political tool – where allies are given preferential treatment while critics get prosecuted.
“The people see this…when high-profile individuals like Zahid get released without his defence being called while ordinary citizens get punished for lesser crimes,” it noted.
Firing a salvo on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Muda urged the former to take responsibility for the matter and provide answers to the public.
They also lamented that young leaders seemed quiet about the whole issue instead of speaking out.
“The people are watching, and they will punish you (young leaders) if you just remain as obedient followers to your senior leaders.
“This is no longer about politics but integrity, justice, and the nation’s future. If left unchecked, we will allow a situation where power and position can buy freedom.
“Don’t allow justice to get traded as a commodity. If Zahid’s case can get dropped, what’s the point of having laws for the people?” – Malaysiakini