00:00The Federal Court has agreed to hear an appeal against a ruling that granted the Malaysian Bar leave to challenge
00:07the Attorney General's decision to drop corruption charges brought against UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his Yayasan Akalbudi case.
00:17The Apex Court ruled that the AG and Zahid had both met the threshold requirements set out in Section 96
00:25of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 for the appeal to be heard.
00:30Chief Judge of Malaya Hashim Hamza said the case concerned the circumstances under which the AG's exercise of prosecutorial powers
00:40could be challenged.
00:41He said the High Court had applied a two-stage threshold test, concluding that the AG's prosecutorial decisions may be
00:50subject to judicial review in rare and exceptional circumstances.
00:55The Court of Appeal, however, applied a single-stage test under Order 53 of the Rules of Court 2012, subject
01:03to discipline, caution and restraint in the grant of leave.
01:07In September 2023, the High Court, on the AG's application, granted Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on
01:16all 47 corruption charges in his Yayasan Akalbudi case.
01:21In June 2024, the High Court dismissed the Malaysian Bar application for leave to challenge the AG's exercise of discretion.
01:30That decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal in May this year, giving rise to the present appeal.
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