KUALA LUMPUR: Former attorney general Tan Sri Idrus Harun will be called in by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform to explain the outcome of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s graft cases.
Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong, who is a member of the PSSC, revealed this in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“We have agreed to call in the former AG, and Arau (Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim), who is also a member of the PSSC, knows this.
“This proceeding will be carried out, yet he (Shahidan) still wants to bring this up in Parliament.
“Everyone knows, yet he still says he doesn’t know. Speaker, this is the latest update on the matter,” he said.
This came after Shahidan (PN-Arau) questioned the status of the emergency motions filed by Perikatan Nasional MPs on the outcome of Ahmad Zahid’s graft cases after the house was adjourned on Monday.
Prior to this, Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul had given his assurance that the matter would be raised after the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review (MTR) was tabled.
Aside from Shahidan, Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) and Zahari Kechik (PN-Jeli) are also members of the PSSC.
Shahidan, meanwhile, was adamant that he was unaware of the development.
“We only heard murmurs of this. They (government MPs) discussed this among themselves and suddenly mentioned it in the House. The people need an explanation,” he said.
To this, Khoo said the matter in relation to Ahmad Zahid’s DNAA was not only discussed within the government bloc but also with the Opposition MPs.
“Jeli, Besut and Arau are in the same PSSC.
“They know we are going to carry out this proceeding. Why are they trying to lengthen the issue?” he said.
PSSC chairman William Leong (PH-Selayang) then said both Idrus and current AG Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh would be called in.
“This is a matter of public interest. We will present the report once the proceeding concludes,” he said.
Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru) asked why there was a delay when the Speaker had promised to allow Opposition MPs to read out the motion.
Explaining this, Johari said he had rejected the motion as there was precedence.
“The precedent was in July 2021, when then Speaker (Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun) rejected two motions by Beruas (Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham) and Port Dickson (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) under Standing Orders 18(1) to debate certain issues.
“That time, it was during the state of Emergency,” he added.
Johari, however, said he had given Perikatan MPs space to raise the issue in the House.
“You have six days. You can say it out.
“I won’t stop it when this issue is raised,” he said, adding that they could do so after the debates on the MTR.
Last Friday, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal filed an emergency motion for the AG to explain the decision to grant Ahmad Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
The Deputy Prime Minister was granted a DNAA for 47 graft charges related to Yayasan Akalbudi funds on Sept 4.
