No agreement to speed up Najib's, Zahid's court cases, says PM's aide

SHAH ALAM - An aide to the prime minister has refuted claims by Umno's controversial figure Datuk Lokman Noor Adam that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had asked to speed up court cases linked to Umno leaders.

Referring to claims made by Lokman on Aug 30, Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, the special officer at the Prime Minister's Office said Ismail Sabri and Perikatan Nasional Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin did not sign an agreement over the matter on August 17, 2021.

Kamarul Zaman clarified that point 7 in the agreement was on the prime minister’s pledge to retain the appointments of Perikatan Nasional members in statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs).

He also said point 9 involves a promise to distribute special allocation for MPs “according to a certain distribution (method)”.

He added there was nothing in the agreement that is "peculiar, questionable or detrimental to Umno and Barisan Nasional because it’s only a normal agreement to ensure the government didn’t fall."

“There was no over-the-top condition in the agreement," he said in a statement, adding that it was over keeping the quota of ministers and deputy ministers and retaining the appointments of PN members in statutory bodies and GLC.

“Among the allegations made by Lokman is that Ismail Sabri promised not to change the Attorney General and to expedite Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former Datuk Seri Najib Razak court cases,"

Lokman also asked the party to take disciplinary action against Ismail Sabri who is the party vice-president.

On August 21 2021, Ismail Sabri, the Bera MP was sworn in as the 9th Prime Minister in accordance with Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.