Attorney General should not be prosecutor, says Umno Youth chief
KUALA LUMPUR: The functions of the public prosecutor should be removed from the role of the Attorney-General to avoid a conflict of interests and selective prosecution, says Umno youth.
Its chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the last few years have seen the rise in “revenge politics” especially when there is a change in government.
He said that this has led to a manipulation of the country’s legal system.
“Killing off political enemies has become the name of the game every time there is a change of power. The country’s legal system is violated, to the point that the institution of the Attorney General is manipulated by the people in charge,” said Dr Asyraf Wajdi.
“Political allies are released from prosecution and their cases dropped just like that. Meanwhile, their enemies are harassed and threatened with various accusations and political prosecution,” he added.
Dr Asyra Wajdi said that this is why Umno Youth is proposing that the function of the public prosecutor be removed from the Attorney General’s powers.
“This is to ensure that the functions and role of the Attorney General’s Chambers remains independent,” he said.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi added that an Attorney General that is appointed based on the advice of the prime minister should not be advising the government and at the same time using their powers to prosecute.
“This is based on the principles of justice and also to avoid conflict of interest and selective prosecution,” said Dr Asyraf Wajdi in his policy speech at the Umno Youth meeting.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi also called for the government to enact laws on anti hopping and political funding immediately.
“The anti hopping law is a necessity to regain the trust of the rakyat towards the country’s democratic system.,” he said
“The people need to be given back the confidence that their vote is not a waste. The country’s fate should only be decided by the rakyat, not the ‘222 political elites’ in the Dewan Rakyat,” added Dr Asyraf Wajdi.
On the political funding law, Dr Asyraf Wajdi said all parties must disclose their financial sources to the public to avoid corruption and abuse of power.
“There are some parties claiming they are young, fresh and represent ordinary people. They claim their sources of funds are from supporters who are sympathetic towards them. But we know that the millions of ringgit that they have spent actually came from ‘taukehs’ who are investing in them for their own interests,” said Dr Asyraf Wajdi.
The youth chief said these proposals were among the wing’s reform agenda to “clean up” the current political culture.
“To clean up the current political culture, it must immediately start with developing a sense of hate and disgust towards acts of corruption and hypocrisy,” said Dr Asyraf Wajdi.
The Umno general assembly runs from March 16 to March 19.