FORMER law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has every right to question the government’s treatment of the controversy over the purported “supplementary order” on former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest.
In a post on Facebook, Zaid said to suggest that the former prime minister had no moral standing to discuss the issue because his son-in-law Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan had disappeared was “pathetic”.
Zaid was responding to government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil who said on Sunday (April 21) that Muhyiddin had no moral standing to make statements regarding the country’s current affairs including political issues.
Fahmi said this was because Muhyiddin had failed to cooperate with the authorities in urging Adlan to return and face criminal breach of trust charges.
“Bring back your son-in-law, and then you will be in a better position to talk because he (Adlan) is a fugitive,” Fahmi, who is also the PKR information chief, said when asked to comment on Muhyiddin’s remark on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s handing of the issue yesterday.
Muhyiddin had previously criticised Anwar’s refusal to get involved in the “supplementary order” controversy, saying the prime minister must explain and correct the situation as government leaders seemed to be at odds over the issue.
Najib is currently seeking leave of the High Court to commence judicial review proceedings and compel the government to produce the supplementary order purportedly issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah during the Federal Territories Pardons Board’s meeting on Jan 29.
“If a legal issue needs to be sorted out, the prime minister must take the initiative to refer the matter to the Attorney-General (AG) for determination. The AG should then inform the public about the status of the decree,” Zaid reckoned.
“If he feels that it is more appropriate to refer the Federal Court to a constitutional question regarding the supplementary decree, then that’s what the government should have done.”
Zaid lamented that the government seemed to be uninterested in the supplementary order altogether.
“The PM says he does not want to get involved. The effect of all that is Najib has to take action for a judicial review on the matter when it is the government responsibility to provide the answers,” he remarked.
“What’s so difficult about being candid about such an important matter? The government is undoubtedly in a position to know if such a decree exists or not, and if it does exist, inform the public about the legal position. If the AG is uncertain, refer it to the Federal Court.”
Zaid further noted that the “surreptitious manner” in the government’s handling of the issue has far-reaching consequences.
Every state ruler who grants a pardon or a respite will never know if the government will act on the matter, for the state government may ignore it, or the menteri besar may not want to get involved.
“This hide-and-seek approach is not how to deal with the prerogatives of Heads of State. Respect for the Rulers must necessarily mean that the government must act on their decrees promptly, and if there are legal impediments to doing so, let the King and the public know,” he stated.
“Being forthright and professional is the way they should operate.” – April 22, 2024
