Dr Mahathir Mohamad today penned a statement on Malaysia's judicial system laced with his trademark sarcasm, a day after Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was discharged from 47 charges of corruption related to Yayasan Akalbudi.

In the statement titled "Rule of Law", the former leader said that man-made laws could be changed or reinterpreted.

While in "the good old days in England", stealing was punishable by death, he said today, under "the new rule of law", the death penalty could not be given even for murder.

"The judiciary consists of the attorney-general and the judges. The decision of the first court may be appealed through a second. And the decision of the second court appealed through a third court.

"Then the supreme head may modify the sentence or even pardon. But the guilt remains.

"There is another judge not presiding over a court. This judge makes his own decision based on whatever. He may decide there is no case to answer. Even when the case is being heard, his decision prevails.

"The judge may believe that there is guilt and refuse acquittal. But the case cannot be heard. That is the law. The rule of law has been adhered to.

"Bravo Malaysia. Your judiciary is the best in the world," he said.

Yesterday, Zahid was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for the 47 charges against him in the Yayasan Akalbudi case after the Attorney-General's Chambers decided to discontinue the case against the Umno president.

The prosecution had applied for the DNAA earlier, while Zahid's lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik later said that he would appeal for a full acquittal.

Zahid had faced 12 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight of corruption, and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Among the CBT charges was that he allegedly settled his credit card debts using Yayasan Akalbudi through 44 cheques amounting to some RM1.3 million between January 2013 and December 2016.