KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has sidestepped questions on why Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had resigned as his special adviser, saying he merely accepted her decision.
“She resigned, and I accepted,” he said briefly when asked by reporters after attending the National Athlete Welfare Foundation 7th annual general meeting at M Resort & Hotel here today.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on September 1 confirmed that Azalina had resigned as Ismail Sabri’s law and human rights special adviser.
The statement said the Pengerang MP had tendered her resignation on August 29.
Azalina’s resignation follows criticism of her speech at the Umno special briefing on August 27, where she said the prime minister of the ruling coalition should appoint the attorney-general (AG) from their own ranks.
The Umno gathering was to rally the party following former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s imprisonment after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.
Azalina had said that the prime minister is accorded full rights to appoint his choice for AG, with consent from the king.
“I don’t care if what I say angers the people, but whoever is the prime minister must appoint the AG from his own people,” she said to the Umno crowd.
Ismail Sabri today also sidestepped questions on a purported leaked agreement between him and his predecessor Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, including regarding the appointment of the AG.
Ismail Sabri brushed off the question with a brief remark: “It’s old news.”
The purported agreement was alleged by former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who claimed that there were several deals between Ismail Sabri and Muhyiddin on government appointments.
Lokman has since been charged with posting offensive content against Ismail Sabri and the government.
However, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said there was no deal regarding the selection of the AG, but rather an “understanding” between the two men regarding the formation of the cabinet and election matters. – The Vibes, September 3, 2022
