SUNGAI PETANI, Sept 2 — The separation of powers between the attorney-general and the public prosecutor is being studied, and it is not known when it will be implemented, said Attorney-General Datuk Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh.
He said the committee involved in the process visited several countries to conduct an empirical study on the separation of the roles of the departments.
“A team from the Attorney-General’s Chambers is also in the committee and they are conducting studies and have visited several countries... the time frame (for implementation) is uncertain,” he said.
He was met by reporters after inaugurating the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ Santuni Madani programme at the Paya Nahu People’s Housing Programme (PPR) here today.
Last October, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said reportedly said separating the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor will be implemented in stages after the government takes into account the complexity and challenges of the process.
Azalina reportedly told the Dewan Rakyat that in the first phase, a special task force on comparative studies is conducting a study on several countries to examine and formulate the most appropriate model in the Malaysian context.
Meanwhile, Terrirudin said the Santuni Madani programme today aimed to unite the community through collaborations with government agencies at the district level and the Paya Nahu PPR residents’ association.
“This programme is the brainchild of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who wants all department heads or director-generals to return to their respective villages to contribute and strengthen friendships.
“Various activities are provided including a legal aid clinic by the Legal Aid Department, health checks, briefings by the Prisons Department, the Royal Malaysian Police, the Information Department, SWCorp and the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he said.
He said the programme, held from 9am to 3pm, is aimed at improving the village’s potential via direct monitoring and discussion to identify socio-economic problems and the needs of residents.
— Bernama
