Maria said people had staged protests against leaders such as disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak and Zahid, and they expected justice to be served.
“The prosecution has to give a full, honest and open explanation on its reasons for seeking a discharge for such a high-profile case,” said Maria, a former MP for Petaling Jaya.
Maria added that the “grave allegations” made against Zahid and his involvement in the Yayasan Akalbudi scandal warranted a more in-depth trial instead of a prosecution application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal..
Zahid had been accused of embezzling millions of ringgit from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister between 2013 and 2018.
At the resumption of his trial this morning, Zahid was granted a conditional discharge by High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah on an application by the prosecution. Zahid’s lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, asked the court to acquit Zahid, who is Umno president.
The discharge not amounting to an acquittal allows the prosecution to resume the case or bring a case against Zahid at any time in the future, based on similar facts and evidence.
Maria said that the prosecution was making a mockery of the justice system by saying the case could be picked up again later.
Maria’s predecessor in Bersih, lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan said the prosecution’s decision had turned the trial into “an utter waste of public funds”and a waste of all the hard work by the members of the Attorney-General’ Chambers after the prosecution had proved a prima facie case against Zahid, resulting in his defence being called.
“An explanation is definitely owed to the public. I hope no unity government politician dares to justify this or ever again say they are anti-corruption,” said Ambiga, who is a human rights activist.
Another critic of the prosecution decision, Melaka Amanah youth secretary Ahmad Azri Abdullah, said the people’s trust in the AGC could be eroded, placing “half of the justice system in Malaysia” in danger.
He also called for the AGC to be moved to a new department and made to report to Parliament, and for the Attorney-General’s power as public prosecutor to be separated from his role as legal adviser to the government.
“The idea for separation of powers isn’t new. It started as early as 2018, or perhaps even before that. So, what are we waiting for?” he said.