The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) commends Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said for her statement on the separation of the offices of the Attorney General (AG) and the Public Prosecutor (PP).
In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 23), Ideas expressed encouragement regarding the remarks made by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) and called on the government to expedite the process.
For several years, civil society organisations (CSOs) have been advocating for this separation, and the previous administration had made promises to implement the reform.
Ideas offered to collaborate with the government by providing insights and recommendations to expedite the process.
“We acknowledge that the government intends to carry out a comprehensive empirical study within one year prior to finalizing the separation,” said Dr Tricia Yeoh, Ideas CEO.
She further stated, “Ideas is prepared to work together with the government to expedite the process by offering our insights and recommendations. Furthermore, our policy paper titled ‘Separating the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor: Enhancing Rule of Law in Malaysia’ published in 2016, and Bersih’s paper published in 2021, are important references for this reform effort.”
Ideas emphasized that separating the roles of the AG and the Public Prosecutor is essential for enhancing the rule of law in Malaysia.
“Considering claims of selective prosecution by some parties in the country and the government’s commitment to institutional reform, the rule of law, and addressing corruption, it is crucial for the separation to be implemented as soon as possible,” the statement affirmed.
Dr Yeoh also advocated for other reforms to be included, such as the Political Financing Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the Constituency Development Fund Act.
She added, “All of these reforms will strengthen the country’s institutions, ensuring their independence from political interference and improving investor confidence in Malaysia.”
Azalina stated on Saturday (Aug 19) that the government will conduct a comprehensive empirical study within one year before finalizing the proposed separation of powers between the AG and Public Prosecutor.
The implementation of the separation of power would require amendments to about 19 existing laws, as well as the Federal Constitution.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
