KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - The appointment of former Attorney-General Idrus Harun as chairman of government-owned trust fund Amanah Raya after he retired controversially raised eyebrows - casting doubt on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's denial he was not involved in the shock discharge of his deputy Zahid Hamidi from corruption charges.
"What more can Anwar say? He and his government blamed Idrus for Zahid's DNAA and yet they are rewarding Idrus by giving him another cushy, high-paying job with lots of perks," a political pundit told Politics Now!
"How rotten is the state of this country that from one regime to another, corruption and abuse of power never goes away ... but only gets worse."
According to government mouthpiece Bernama news agency, AmanahRaya expressed confidence in Idrus "extensive legal expertise and excellence, which will elevate the government-owned company to a higher level."
It did not mention Idrus's role in ordering the prosecutors to drop Zahid's case and seek a DNAA from the judge even though the court had found sufficient prima facie evidence and trial had already begun.
The DNAA had triggered shock waves and public outrage across the nation, with many demanding that Idrus and his staff be investigated for possible abuse of power including corruption and bribery.
ANWAR'S HEAD SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO ROLL
RELATED STORY: Idrus insisted on seeking DNAA for Zahid before retiring, says PM
There were also calls for Anwar's own head to roll over the scandal as it became obvious he was reneging on election promises and backpedaling from an anti-corruption stance back into the infamous 'selective prosecution mode' that has long dogged Malaysia's progress and slowed its economic growth.
Idrus, whose brother Azhar Harun was a former Speaker of the Parliament, had earned an honours degree in Law from Universiti Malaya. He started his legal career as a Parliamentary Lawmaker at the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and became a Senior Assistant Registrar at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
"With over 42 years of legal experience, Idrus worked as Deputy Public Prosecutor in various departments, including the Royal Customs and Excise Department and the Prosecution Division in the AGC," said AmanahRaya in a statement.
Idrus also previously served as the Terengganu Legal Advisor, senior federal counsel at the Election Commission (EC), and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Idrus served as a judge of the Court of Appeals in September 2014, subsequently becoming a judge of the Federal Court in November 2018. He was appointed as the AG in March 2020 and served in that role until his retirement last month.
Politics Now!
Comments