KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 22): Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has criticised Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali for his lack of courage to prosecute Datuk Seri Najib Razak following investigations into Finance Ministry-owned SRC International Sdn Bhd.

The former deputy prime minister said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissions's (MACC) oversight panel had reviewed the matter and there was a strong case.

"If the A-G is trustworthy and responsible, he must act no matter how powerful the person is," Muhyiddin said in a video uploaded on the blog "Din Turtle Original".

"The question is whether he is brave enough to do it or not," he said during a speech at a ceremony on Saturday to give away free tuition certificates in Taman Duyung Intan, Port Dickson.

He said Apandi should have informed the Malaysian public that there was sufficient evidence against Najib for action to be taken.

"Don't tell me (Najib) wants to sack Apandi. Then the entire nation will know the A-G was removed for attempting to initiate prosecution."

Muhyiddin said Apandi ordered the case to be closed because he did not have courage to frame charges against Najib.

His comments were in response to former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamed Noor Abdullah, who said no A-G would dare to prosecute a prime minister as they would be sacked from office.

Noor had said the A-G was actually the nominee of the prime minister although appointed by the Agong.

"I think the former judge should clarify this further," Muhyiddin added.

He said Najib should not escape prosecution just because the Agong appointed Apandi on the advice of the prime minister.

"I think that is not the correct interpretation of the Federal Constitution," said Muhyiddin, while adding that he himself was not legally trained.

He said the Malaysian public was eager to know more since the A-G and the MACC panel had different views.

Two of the MACC's oversight panels had wanted to meet Apandi over his "no further action" decision on Najib, but the meeting was recently cancelled.

The MACC oversight panels had before that asked the agency's investigators to continue "engaging" Apandi, after the A-G on Jan 26 announced that Najib had not committed any criminal offence over the RM2.6 billion donation channeled into his private accounts and SRC International, due to "insufficient evidence".

Apandi said there was also no reason to grant MACC its request for mutual legal assistance (MLA) to obtain documents and statements from abroad as part of its probe into the RM2.6 billion donation fiasco.

He then ordered MACC to close its investigation papers on these cases.

Former A-G Tan Sri Abu Talib subsequently said Apandi as the public prosecutor had no such authority to halt investigations.

He said Apandi should allow MACC to complete the probe and render whatever assistance needed, as the source of the funds was outside Malaysia.

Apandi, a former Federal Court judge, was appointed on July 27, replacing Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail who was removed from office on medical grounds.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said the A-G had "no credibility" following his decision not to prosecute Najib.