PH accuses AG of undermining the rulers on Parliament date
(FMT) – Pakatan Harapan leaders have accused the attorney-general of undermining the views of the Rulers’ Conference and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong about the resumption of parliamentary meetings.
The PH leaders also accused the AG, Idrus Harun, of a breach of protocol by making his views public instead of doing so directly in a confidential manner to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The PH statement was issued by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu.
The statement is the latest in a series of political skirmishes that have resulted since the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Rulers’ Conference called last week for the resumption of legislative business in Parliament and state assemblies.
Various politicians have accused the Perikatan Nasional government of prolonging the crisis as a means of staying in power. There have also been claims that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had the power to act on his own to set the dates for Parliament’s resumption.
On Friday, Idrus stated that the King must act upon the advice of the prime minister, who will set the date for Parliament to meet.
The PH presidential council described his statement as belittling what they called a royal decree. They also accused Idrus of disparaging the constitutional monarchy, the Federal Constitution and of acting “to protect a government that wanted absolute power without any control or time limit”.
The PH leaders also accused Idrus of breaching confidentiality, likening his relationship as legal adviser to the King and government as similar to that of a private lawyer and client.
“Clearly the AG should give his views directly to the King and keep it confidential, instead of announcing his views openly as he had done,” the statement said, accusing Idrus of having breached client-lawyer privileges and thus disqualifying him from being a lawyer.
Under the Federal Constitution, the attorney-general is appointed by the King on the advice of the prime minister and must be a person qualified to be a Federal Court judge. Idrus Harun was appointed to the post in March last year. He had previously served in the legal and judicial service and has been a judge of the Court of Appeal and also the Federal Court.
