Fadhli said when Azalina was still a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, she had called on Putrajaya to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on reforming the AGC.

Azalina was quoted as saying that whoever became prime minister would usually appoint “one of their own” to become the attorney-general (AG).

“In an era where the government of the day is undertaking various reforms in order to revive true democracy, (Azalina’s remarks) are seen as a step backwards,” the Pasir Mas MP said in a Facebook post.

The PAS MP said the best way forward for the AGC was to separate the functions and roles of the public prosecutor and AG, adding that Takiyuddin Hassan had got the ball rolling for this when he was the law minister.

While Fadhli was unsure about the progress of this proposal, he maintained that it needed to be followed through.

On Saturday, Azalina took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob for retaining Idrus Harun as the AG. Idrus was appointed AG after Muhyiddin Yassin took office as the eighth prime minister.

Azalina drew flak for her comments, with DAP’s Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham calling for the Umno Supreme Council member to resign as the prime minister’s special adviser for law and human rights.

Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin said her remarks were proof that Umno and Barisan Nasional had made civil servants follow their wishes while they were in power.