MUDA will initiate a nationwide campaign to pressure the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to prosecute Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for corruption again.

In a statement, Muda said it was calling for all Malaysians to come together to reject abuse of power and corruption so that similar incidents would not recur.

“We urge the AGC to explain the decision to drop charges against Zahid, especially when there was a prima facie case against the Umno president,” it said.

“We demand that the public prosecutor’s office be separated from the AGC to avoid any executive interference in any court cases.

“Lastly, we will initiate the #dakwazahid campaign to get the masses together for Zahid’s retrial. And if our demands are not met, we will consider our position in the Madani government.”

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah yesterday allowed a prosecution application to grant Zahid a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) on all 47 of his criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering charges in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

The prosecution said it wanted to halt proceedings so that a more in-depth investigation can be done into the case.

The case was dropped after Zahid had been asked to enter his defence.

Zahid, 70, was slapped with the 47 charges in late 2018, A total of 114 witnesses were called to testify in the trial, which started on November 18, 2019, and lasted 77 days.

After 99 prosecution witnesses testified in the trial, the High Court on January 24 last year ordered Zahid to enter his defence on all the charges. He was among 15 defence witnesses who testified in the case.

At a press conference earlier, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said his party might be forced to evaluate its position in the coalitions that back the Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government if there is no proper explanation given in the Zahid case.

The backing of Muda’s sole MP, who is Syed Saddiq, gives Anwar the support of 148 MPs, effectively granting his government a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

A pull-out would reduce the government’s two-thirds majority.

Syed Saddiq said the DNAA granted to Zahid was “one of the biggest red lines crossed”.

“That’s why Muda has taken the measure of launching a protest campaign on the streets, on social media as well as a ‘Kempen Dakwa Zahid’. We demand for our claims to be fulfilled.

“If those claims are not fulfilled, we will take action as a party,” he said at Muda’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya. – September 5, 2023.