Malaysia Chronicle

PKR Youth pushes for emergency sitting in Parliament after DPM Zahid’s Yayasan Akalbudi discharge

KUALA LUMPUR — The government should call for an emergency sitting in the Dewan Rakyat to debate Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for the dishonest misappropriation of RM31 million belonging to charitable organisation Yayasan Akalbudi, the Youth wing of PKR said today.

Its deputy chief Tyra Hanim Razali also said that the government should give the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) a fixed time frame to find new evidence to recharge Zahid, if it does not want a loss of credibility with the public.

“This event shows that there seems to be a plot by irresponsible parties that have yet to be identified, however, PKR Youth questions the credibility of the AGC which seems to have political motives for this case,” she said in a statement.

“Its explanations dated September 5 about the decision to apply is also incomplete and raises more questions among the general public,” she added.

Tyra said the Youth wing is confident that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim — who is also PKR president — did not interfere with the prosecution’s move to apply for a DNAA.

But she also said the DNAA order has weakened the public’s perception of the unity government’s ability to spearhead change and reform.

She added that the move has reduced confidence in Anwar’s unity government ahead of this weekend’s Johor twin by-elections in Pulai parliamentary seat as well as the Simpang Jeram state seat.

The High Court granted a DNAA to Zahid last Monday, after the prosecution said it would discontinue the case.

A DNAA means an accused person can face trial for the same charges in the future if the prosecution decides to reinstate them.

The defence had pushed for Zahid’s full acquittal of all 47 charges, but was declined by the High Court.

The 47 charges are namely, 12 counts of criminal breach of trust in relation to over RM31 million of Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds, 27 counts of money laundering, and eight counts of bribery charges of over RM21.25 million in alleged bribes.

A day later, the AGC released a statement defending its decision to discontinue the trial of 47 corruption charges against Zahid, saying that the prosecution had argued for it based on clear, logical and convincing reasons.

MALAY MAIL