AGC opposes Malaysian Bar’s bid to challenge NFA ruling in Zahid’s Yayasan Akalbudi graft case

“KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has filed an objection to the Malaysian Bar’s application seeking leave to initiate a judicial review over the decision to classify a graft case involving Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Yayasan Akalbudi funds as No Further Action (NFA). The matter was raised by federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan, representing the AGC, during case management before High Court Judge Alice Loke Yee Ching. On April 7, the Malaysian Bar filed the application naming the Attorney General (AG) and Ahmad Zahid as first and second respondents, seeking to declare the NFA decision made on January 8, 2026, as invalid, arguing it was made beyond the AG’s authority. On January 8, the AGC announced that no further action would be taken on 47 charges involving criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering linked to the Yayasan Akalbudi funds after reviewing all new evidence. In a statement, the AGC said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had conducted further detailed investigations into the source, procurement and utilisation of the funds. In a separate related case, Nurhafizza said the AGC would also file for leave to appeal at the Federal Court against a Court of Appeal decision on May 7 allowing the Malaysian Bar’s appeal. The Bar had previously appealed against a High Court decision dated June 27, 2024, which had dismissed its application for leave to challenge the prosecution’s decision to discontinue proceedings against Ahmad Zahid. The Court of Appeal later ordered the matter to be remitted to the High Court for a substantive hearing of the judicial review. Lawyer Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Ahmad Zahid, said they would also file a similar application at the Federal Court. “We therefore request that the judicial review proceedings be stayed until the parties return to court to update the status at the Federal Court,” he said. The High Court has fixed June 30 to decide whether the Malaysian Bar’s application for leave should proceed or be stayed pending the outcome of the Federal Court appeal. — Bernama

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