FOR years, Malaysians heard the call from PH for prime ministers and ministers to go on “gardening” leave or to simply quit their posts in the event of investigations against them.
However, with a PH leader now leading the country, the party of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has seemingly made a U-turn on such policies.
Bryan Ng Yih Miin, Strategic Director of Angkatan Muda KEADILAN (AMK) Malaysia, dismissed opposition calls for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take leave over a civil lawsuit, calling them legally baseless and contrary to parliamentary norms.
He emphasised that in the Westminster system, taking leave is only appropriate in cases of criminal misconduct or serious conflicts of interest, not civil disputes.
Bryan warned that applying such a standard broadly would destabilise governance, as many leaders face civil suits that do not imply guilt or criminal wrongdoing.
“In the Westminster system, only when a leader is being investigated for serious misconduct, or if there is a serious conflict of interest, would taking leave or resigning be considered appropriate or ethical,” he said.
“A civil suit, such as a defamation case, is a dispute between individuals or private parties and does not involve criminal investigations, corruption, or abuse of power in an official capacity,” he explained when contacted by Suara Keadilan.
Meanwhile, Hanani Dhamirah, a member of Angkatan Muda Keadilan Malaysia, rejected the call by Srikandi Muda Bersatu for Anwar Ibrahim to go on leave, calling it baseless and a misuse of legal processes.
She argued that it does not warrant taking leave, as civil cases are personal legal disputes, not evidence of wrongdoing or prosecution.
Mohamad Shahrul Adnan, Chief of Angkatan Muda Keadilan Klang added that the call is a political distraction, not grounded in legal facts.
Shahrul also emphasised that there is no legal basis requiring Anwar to take leave and that he continues to perform his duties with integrity.
He further accused PAS of misusing legal issues for political gain and attempting to divert attention from their own failures in state governance and lack of constructive national opposition.
Shahrul urged all parties, especially PAS, to respect the ongoing legal process and avoid politicising court matters for short-term political advantage. —June 8, 2025
Main image: Media Madani
