WHY is the Attorney General (AG) of Malaysia so powerful? This is because under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, the AG is the principal legal advisor of the government of the day and at the same time, he has the power of the Public Prosecutor – the power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence.
Due to the fusion of the two very important powers in a single position, serious conflicts of interest may occur, especially when the person prosecuted is a powerful figure in government or a leader of a political party.
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