‘Do you want a dictator?’: Anwar defends judiciary’s independence, disagrees with ‘some’ DNAA rulings

KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today defended the independence of the judiciary and dismissed allegations that he had interfered in recent court decisions involving politicians.

However, he said he “utterly” disagrees with “some” of the decisions to grant a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) in corruption cases, while stressing that such rulings were made by the courts.

“When one person gets a DNAA the prime minister is condemned by one group,” Anwar said in his keynote speech at the launch of the Asean Madani Leadership Programme Symposium here.

“Then next week another person also gets a DNAA but the prime minister is also condemned but these (critics) are the same people who talk about judiciary independence,” he added.

“What do you want? Do you want me to be a dictator? Do you want me to tell the judges to adjudicate based on your personal views.”