This comes after Sinar Harian, quoting a source, reported that the Umno Supreme Council member had tendered her resignation as Ismail’s special adviser yesterday.

“I would like to confirm that I am still serving as the (special) adviser on law and human rights (to the prime minister) as of Aug 31, 2022,” Azalina said in a Facebook post.

“I would like to take the opportunity to wish (all of you) Happy 65th Malaysian Independence anniversary.”

Her statement came four days after she took a veiled dig at Ismail over the retention of Idrus Harun as the attorney-general (AG).

In a special briefing organised by Umno on Saturday after the imprisonment of former prime minister Najib Razak on Aug 23, she spoke about the wide-ranging and unquestionable powers of an AG, and that whoever becomes the prime minister will appoint “one of their own” as AG.

Azalina’s remark drew flak from DAP’s Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin and PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari. They said that her comments contradicted her earlier calls for reforms in the Attorney-General’s Chambers and proved that Umno and Barisan Nasional control civil servants.

Thomas Fann of electoral reform group Bersih also criticised her for the comments and reiterated the need for an independent public prosecutor, free of influence from the executive branch of government.

Azalina was appointed as special adviser to the prime minister on Oct 2 last year.

She had quit her deputy speaker’s post on Aug 23 the same year, a week after Muhyiddin Yassin resigned as prime minister, and there was speculation then that she would be appointed a Cabinet minister by Ismail.