PASIR Gudang MP Hassan Karim today urged the prime minister to put an end to the speculation surrounding his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge from his corruption trial.

PKR’s Hassan gave a fiery speech in the Dewan Rakyat this morning defending Anwar Ibrahim, who has been accused of judicial interference.

“I am here to defend my leader and our prime minister. We cannot blame the judge or the judiciary for the discharge. In this case, the attorney-general is responsible.

“The discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) that was granted to Bagan Datoh is the AG’s prerogative and I, as soon as the court made its decision, wrote a poem. I am dissatisfied and the AG has to present himself before a select committee,” Hassan said.

“When the court made its decision, our PM was in Jakarta and I read in various media reports that didn’t interfere (in the ruling). 

“For justice, we want to hear from the PM directly in this house so that this DNAA issue can be put to rest,” he said.

Hassan also said that he was convinced by Anwar’s earlier assurances to him that the government won’t interfere in the judiciary.

“Honestly, I want to share this in the Dewan that at times, when I met with our PM personally, I did ask him to leave our judiciary free and he agreed,” said Hassan.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah last week allowed the prosecution’s application to grant Zahid a DNAA on 47 counts of criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi funds. The prosecution had wished to halt proceedings to make way for an in-depth investigation into the case. 

The charges were brought against Zahid, 70, in 2018 and 2019. 

A total of 114 witnesses were called to testify in the trial, which started in November 2019 and lasted 77 days. 

The High Court in January last year ordered Zahid to enter his defence on all 47 charges. He was among 15 defence witnesses who testified. 

Hassan today said he had asked Anwar if the court cases against Muhyiddin Yassin and Wan Saiful Wan Jan were politically motivated.

“I contacted him directly and he assured me that there they were not cases of selective prosecution.”

In response to an MP from the opposition who asked if Anwar could be trusted, Hassan said he trusted Anwar as a long-time friend.

“I will not throw him under the bus. As a long time friend and a party member it is my right to trust him,” he said. – September 14, 2023.