Anwar said he has personally been following the case’s developments and urged all parties to abstain from speculating on the matter.

He maintained that the police and attorney-general (AG) must be satisfied with the overall investigation into the case before taking the next step.

“Who said the case is closed? The (investigation) process takes time. I have been personally following the case.

“Sometimes, we tend to judge (a case) before the investigation is concluded or before we know the outcome of the investigation, which would be referred to the AG.

“It’s the AG who will decide whether to charge or otherwise, based on facts,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers here.

Earlier this month, the victim Ong Ing Keong submitted a memorandum to Anwar over the prolonged delay in prosecuting the suspect.

Ong, who is deaf and mute, was allegedly assaulted by a police escort to Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, while waiting to pick up passengers at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on May 28.

Tunku Ismail subsequently urged the police to carry out a thorough investigation of the incident.

Overseas trips by government agencies

Separately, Anwar said the Cabinet cancelled a government agency’s work trip to Berlin, Germany involving 68 civil servants as it would have involved excessive spending.

The prime minister said any trips abroad must be referred to the relevant ministry’s secretary-general or director-general before being approved by the minister, who would be directly responsible for all expenditures.

He added that these trips must also be presented to the Cabinet by the relevant minister, to ensure the government uses public funds responsibly.

“Usually, we reduce the number of participants (in these trips) if they are redundant, to save costs,” he said.