AG must publicly explain why Zahid granted DNAA

[superadmin]

From Ibrahim M Ahmad

This week’s news cycle began with a jolt after the High Court granted deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in a case which called for him to answer 47 corruption charges involving substantial funds belonging to his charitable foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi.

What that means is that the case is now somehow suspended indefinitely, capable of being revived, but probably unlikely to be.

Instead, from here on we can expect Zahid’s lawyers to relentlessly pursue the full acquittal he was denied in court on Monday.

- More -

[superadmin]

“Malaysians welcome the new government in Malaysia!”

Letter to editor

GOOD morning, Malaysians!

AFTER several months of haggling, the palace has finally consented to the demand to set up a new government.

Prime Minister (PM)-in-waiting, Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin is expected to be the eleventh PM with Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali as the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM).

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to be appointed as Senior Minister while 98-year-old Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will chair the national council of elders to advise the new government.

This final decision was made after several months between the palace and the various coalitions following Persekutuan Muafakat Kebangsaan’s (PMK) landslide victory in early December last year (2023).

This is a fictitious news piece that we may wake up to. It is a standard news template with only a change of names. After all, this is Malaysia.

- More -

[superadmin]

Zahid’s DNAA a double-edged sword for unity govt, says analyst

PETALING JAYA: The discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) in Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s Yayasan Akalbudi case may be a double-edged sword for the unity government, says a political analyst.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the DNAA would strengthen the unity government as Zahid would have more control over Umno without the looming spectre of criminal charges.

As a result, he said, it is likely that Umno will remain part of the government.

“Those in the party who are against Zahid and those who are ambivalent about forming a unity government with PH overlap with one another.

- More -

[superadmin]

COMMENT | Hadi has poor understanding of DNAA verdict

COMMENT | While debating the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat recently, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang made a rather startling statement on criminal law.

In a jab clearly aimed at Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hadi said that there was no such thing as discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in Islam.

In fortifying his view, Hadi cited Islamic history as his stare decisis ( legal precedent) whereby the then-Ottoman caliphate - Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh - was punished for abuse of power after oppressing an architect who had gone against his wishes.

The Marang MP then sweepingly concluded that "this happened, and this shows that there is no DNAA in Islam. There must be a punishment”.

- More -