FORMER attorney-general (AG) Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh would likely have proceeded with the appeal against the acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from 40 charges of corruption in the foreign visa system (VLN) case following the latter’s discharge by the Shah Alam High Court two years ago.
There was no indication that he was considering otherwise, according to human rights activist and lawyer Charles Hector.
“I don’t think that the previous AG/PP (Terrirudin who is n0w a Federal Court judge) would have dropped the appeal – and maybe that was why he was prematurely replaced,” Hector penned in his latest blog.
“Ahmad Terrirudin being a public officer should have remained AG/PP until his retirement age of 60. There was also no known fixed term contract in Terrirudin’s case as it was with some other AG/PP like Tan Sri Idrus Harun who on March 6, 2020 was appointed the AG for a two-year period.
“His (Idris) tenure was then extended by then PM Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and again for another six months from March 6, 2023 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.”
As such, Hector said an opportunity has been lost to ascertain whether the High Court judge whose decision eventually led to Zahid’s acquittal was right or wrong.
“This was what the Court of Appeal – if it heard the appeal – would have decided. If the Court of Appeal decided that the High Court made the correct decision, Zahid will remain acquitted.
“However, if it decided that the High Court had erred, then it would have overturned the decision and ordered Zahid to enter his defence with the trial to resume at the High Court.”.
Obviously, Hector contended that if the appeal proceeded, there was “a risk that the outcome may not be what Zahid or maybe Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would have hoped for”.
“Thus, a safe course would be that the Court of Appeal is prevented from hearing and deciding … and that will happen if the government (or the AG/PP) withdraw the appeal,” asserted Hector who is also co-founder of NGO Malaysians Against Death Penalty & Torture (MADPET).

Looking back, Hector stressed that when the prosecution charged Zahid, they would have done so verily believing that there was sufficient evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the UMNO president was guilty.
“But then the High Court judge decided otherwise. This was when the prosecution appealed to the appellant court which is a correct move to determine whether the High Court judge has made a mistake or otherwise.
“And, now suddenly, after a new AG/PP is appointed, they withdraw the appeal,” he lamented. “And the Court of Appeal is denied the ability to decide whether the High Court judge made a correct decision or not” – Dec 13, 2024
Main image credit: Bernama