Kuala Lumpur: A parliamentary response has revealed that nearly 40 per cent of discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) cases involving high-profile individuals in Malaysia over the past seven years were granted in the last two years.
According to the statistics provided by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Sri Azalina Othman Said, a total of 18 DNAA cases involving VIPs and VVIPs were recorded between 2018 and 2024.
Notably, five cases were recorded in 2023 and two more in early 2024.
VIPs, as defined by the Registrar’s Circular No. 1 of 2012 on High-Profile Cases, include royalty, senior government officials, judges, members of parliament, state assembly members, and high-ranking political leaders.
“The decision to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) aligns with Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, which grants the Attorney General the authority to initiate, conduct, or discontinue any proceedings for an offence, except for cases in Syariah courts, native courts, or military courts.
“In exercising this power, the Attorney General uses their discretion based on evidence obtained from enforcement agencies, as well as new developments and evidence that emerge during trial proceedings,” the minister said in a written reply.
She was responding to Tumpat MP Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi’s request for the breakdown.
The statistics provided in Parliament indicate that two DNAA cases were recorded in 2018, followed by three cases in 2019. The highest number of cases in a single year was recorded in 2020, with five cases.
In 2021, only one case was reported, while no DNAA cases were recorded in 2022. However, in 2023, the number surged again to five cases, and in early 2024, two more cases were recorded.
To address concerns over legal transparency, Azalina said the government has initiated several reform measures, including collaboration with local universities to conduct legal studies aimed at improving judicial procedures.
Additionally, the government has introduced the Roadmap: AI Legal Justice 2025, which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) into the legal system to enhance efficiency, ensure consistency, and improve transparency in legal proceedings.
