He said the power to decide on any motion to debate a matter in the Dewan Rakyat lies with the Speaker.

“It is clear that the prime minister has made a statement that exceeds his authority and on parliamentary proceedings, pre-empting the decision that the Speaker of the lower house should rightfully make.”

Takiyuddin said this in a statement last night, in response to Anwar’s comments on Friday that Parliament was no place to debate the case.

“Parliament is not a courthouse where questions can be asked and answers provided. We should not turn a parliamentary sitting into a court proceeding. The attorney-general is neither an MP nor a minister,” Anwar was quoted as saying.

Takiyuddin, who is also PAS secretary-general, said there is a pressing need to debate Zahid’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) by the courts in Parliament, considering the impact on the judicial system and the government’s public image.

The PN leader said the negative response across the board to the decision by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to drop the case proved its importance.

Takiyuddin also said that there was no issue of sub judice in this case as the court had already made a ruling and Anwar’s argument could not be accepted either.

He said that while he was in the opposition, Anwar and his party had pushed for and received clear answers in Parliament, including on the 1MDB trial.

“Given the negative response from society on this (DNAA) issue, PN believes the decision made by the prosecution needs to be looked into by Parliament because it is closely linked to the integrity of the AGC and the government.

“Therefore, PN calls on the Speaker to make a ruling on this matter based on the existing laws in a fair manner without fear or favour and not bow down to pressure from any quarters, including the government,” Takiyuddin added.