I wasn’t involved in reappointment of AG: Azalina

KOTA TINGGI – Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has insisted that she was not involved in the reappointment of Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun.

She said the attorney-general is only accountable to the prime minister.

“I was not personally involved in the process of reappointing the attorney-general.

“I want to stress that perhaps the prime minister has his own reasons for extending the attorney-general’s appointment for six more months. But, to me, what we really need to look at is that perhaps he (Idrus) has some unfinished business,” she told a media conference after officiating the launching of the Financial Literacy Programme for Legal Aid and Insolvency Clinics here today.

She said this when asked to comment on allegations by certain parties on social media, questioning the involvement of the Pengeran MP in the appointment of the attorney-general.

Azalina explained that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had approved the reappointment of Idrus in accordance with Clause (1) Article 145 of the federal constitution.

Yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali announced the reappointment of Idrus as the attorney-general for six months effective Monday (March 6).

Meanwhile, Azalina said the amendment to the Insolvency Act 1967 (Act 360) will be tabled in Parliament early next month.

She said six policy proposals will be tabled, including making improvements so that individuals can be released from bankruptcy in a short period of time.

“The prime minister, in his budget speech recently, did mention insolvency for release from bankruptcy, and we target the release from this amendment to the Insolvency Act to benefit 130,000 individuals from 260,000 bankruptcy cases,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said the Prime Minister’s Department will improve and expand the jurisdiction of the Legal Aid Department, in addition to the National Legal Aid Foundation also being improved through specific acts and certain agencies to provide services involving criminal cases. – Bernama, March 4, 2023