DAP MP who campaigned for Azalina now says she's unfit as PM's legal adviser

DAP's Ngeh Koo Ham has urged Azalina Othman Said to quit as special adviser to the prime minister following her recent call for the attorney-general to be replaced, in stark contrast to the support from party leaders for the Umno MP just a year ago.

Ngeh, who was among the DAP MPs who came to Azalina's defence after a failed bid by Umno last year to appoint her as the Dewan Rakyat speaker, said he was shocked by her speech at a special meeting of Umno division leaders on Saturday.

"In the context she made the call, she is saying the PM should appoint an AG who will act according to the PM's dictates, including abusing the power of the AG acting as public prosecutor to withdraw charges against the corrupt and those who abused power, especially the Umno leaders," said Ngeh, who last year criticised Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Rashid Hasnon for rejecting Azalina's nomination as speaker.

"This is totally against the rule of law. This is the very reason for the call to have the role of the public prosecutor be separated from that of the AG as top legal adviser to the government."

On Saturday, Azalina suggested that Ismail replace the attorney-general as it is within his power to do so.

"Whoever is prime minister must make the attorney-general his man," she told Umno members who attended a special gathering where speakers took turns condemning last week's Federal Court decision to send former leader Najib Razak to jail after losing his final appeal in the SRC International case.

Ngeh said Azalina, who was appointed to advise the PM on law and human rights, was unfit for the job.

"She should resign from her post immediately."

Azalina, who resigned from the deputy speaker’s post during the brief power vacuum last year, was among a group of Umno MPs aligned with Najib who retracted their support for Muhyiddin Yassin, triggering his resignation in August 2021.

Following her failure to make it to Ismail’s Cabinet, DAP leaders launched a campaign for her to be nominated as speaker.

They included Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh who openly called for Azalina to be given the post of minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs.

"As a deputy speaker she is very consultative, and her track record shows she has engaged the opposition," Yeoh had said.