COMMENT | Interviewed by Bloomberg’s Haslinda Amin at the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore in September 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke on a variety of issues – from people’s expectations and his fight against corruption to his campaign for good governance and foreign relations.

However, the highlight of the 47-minute interview before a live audience was his explanation of the course of events that led to his deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, being given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

Anwar said the 47 charges were so flawed that they bothered the conscience of the then-outgoing attorney-general, Idrus Harun, who wanted to set things right before he left office.

But if they were indeed defective as claimed, how did the court decide that the prosecution had established a prima facie case and Zahid was to enter his defence? For the record, four witnesses had already testified for the defence.

While Idrus maintained stoic silence, Anwar, as if the AG himself, went on a tirade of sorts...