PETALING JAYA: The Attorney General (AG) should be a Member of Parliament to ensure accountability in the public prosecutor’s office, says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
The former law minister suggested that the public prosecutor's office be separated from the Attorney General’s Chambers, similar to the United Kingdom’s system, which requires the AG to be an MP.
"The AG, also a public prosecutor, should be an MP. This is the only way we can hold him accountable for the decisions of the public prosecutor's office. That's how England does it," he said on X on Monday (Dec 22).
"The Public Prosecutor’s Office should be taken out of the AG Chambers. It should be an independent unit and funded separately. Let it be operated by lawyers (both government and private) whose promotion and job security do not depend on the AG," added Zaid.
He then said that there is no need to amend Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, as these steps will ensure separation and accountability in practice.
"Such changes will end the days of an AG remaining silent and not accountable to the public. It will position (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim as a genuine reformer and likely secure his re-election," he said.
The draft Cabinet paper on the separation of powers between the Attorney General's Chambers and the public prosecutor's office is expected to be ready by mid-2025, says Anwar.
The Prime Minister had said that the Cabinet had accepted the proposed division of functions and a minister had been assigned to lead a task force overseeing the matter.
However, he noted that it could take some time as it involves various legal amendments, including changes to the Federal Constitution.
"Having said that, it will proceed, hopefully by the middle of next year. I haven't seen the draft yet. The only paper presented so far was a policy decision on whether we agree with the division passed by the Cabinet," he said in a special interview with chief editors on Saturday (Dec 21).
