PENGERANG lawmaker Azalina Othman Said has resigned as adviser to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob effective today.

The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement said that Azalina had sent a letter of resignation as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (Law and Human Rights) on August 29.

“Ismail has accepted her resignation with a month’s notice as informed in the letter.

“A month’s notice was given to complete work related to his staff, but during that period, Azalina is no longer on duty at the PMO because she was given leave from September 1 until the end of the month.”

The PMO said that Ismail has expressed his appreciation and thanks for the service she has provided throughout his tenure.

Yesterday, Azalina had denied a report that she had resigned as adviser to Ismail.

“I wish to confirm that as of today (yesterday), I am still (the prime minister’s) adviser on law and human rights.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish (everyone) Selamat Hari Merdeka,” she wrote on Facebook. 

She was appointed as the special adviser on law and human rights in October last year.

Azalina drew flak from politicians and electoral reform group Bersih after she had told a special briefing by Umno following the incarceration of former prime minister Najib Razak that whomever becomes the prime minister will appoint one of their own as attorney-general.

DAP’s Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, Bersatu vice-president Mohd Radzi Jidin and PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said her comments varied from her earlier calls for reform in the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Bersih’s Thomas Fann also reiterated the need for an independent public prosecutor, free of influence from the executive branch of government. – September 1, 2022.