Govt urged to state policy on leaders with pending criminal cases

PAS MP Takiyuddin Hassan today urged the government to decide whether members of the administration who have ongoing court cases should be allowed to carry out their duties.

Takiyuddin, the Kota Bharu MP, was referring to the appointment of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as one of two deputy prime ministers under Anwar Ibrahim. 

He said Zahid had been allowed to assume the second highest role in the country despite his ongoing court cases, adding that this placed the legal and judical officers in a bind as the trial involved the deputy prime minister. 

"I would also like to call attention to an instance when the Bagan Datuk MP was first charged in court, in 2018," he added in his debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address. 

"Umno Youth issued a statement urging Zahid to take a break from his duties. This was a call made by his own party." 

He said the call by the youth wing did not mean that Zahid had been found guilty, but was only to allow him the time and space to focus on his court cases and cleanse his name from the charges against him. 

He said the opposition MPs wanted the government to issue an order requiring members of the administration who have cases pending in court to go on leave until these have been settled. 

He said such a suggestion had been made before, by Penang MCA against Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng in relation to his graft case. 

Jelutong MP RSN Rayer however responded, citing Meeting Rule 36(2) which states that MPs cannot touch on anything under consideration by the courts. 

"Bagan Datuk has not yet been convicted," he added, referring to Zahid. 

This sparked calls from the opposition bench, where MPs said Rayer had changed since Pakatan Harapan's decision to join hands with Umno and Barisan Nasional. 

"You used to say one thing, now you say another," Takiyuddin said. 

Zahid has been charged with corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in relation to funds from charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi.

His defence proceedings will begin on April 10 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.