Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has apologised to attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali for suggesting that the latter be replaced during a seminar over the weekend.

He said the regret comes in the wake of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong conferring the highest honour on Apandi in conjunction with His Majesty’s birthday celebrations.

In a blog posting oozing with sarcasm, he also congratulated Apandi and his family.

Claiming that he had acted in haste, the former minister asked Apandi to pardon his ignorance for being in the dark about the numerous “great contributions” he has rendered to the nation.

According to him, to be given such a recognition in less than a year in office is nothing short of fantastic.

In football terms, he said, Apandi would be referred to as the “special one”.

“My ignorance stemmed mainly from not knowing what the AG had done since he became AG 10 months ago to deserve such an award, since most of what happens in government affairs are ‘secret’.

“So in a way I should not be blamed for being hasty in concluding that Apandi was not a suitable person as AG. I just did not have the right information,” he added.

Zaid also pointed out that he is not privy to the many considerations that the Agong’s office and the prime minister’s office take into account with regard to handing out the awards.

As for his own Datukship, the former minister said it was a basic one, given to him more than a decade ago.

“I am grateful for that, but the award was probably made because I was an Umno division leader (then). I don’t think I had done anything worthy of an award for the people and country,” he said.

“It’s true that I do not have close friends who are Tan Sri, and so I don’t know the criteria and achievements needed to be given such an award, never mind the highest category.

“Maybe we should have a more transparent process in giving titles like Tan Sri so that ignorant people like me will be better informed and will not make hasty remarks.

“Something for the prime minister’s office to think about,” he added.

Apandi became attorney-general last July after Abdul Gani Patail was suddenly removed on health grounds, sparking off speculation that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak wanted to derail a special task force investigating 1MDB and the billions in his personal bank accounts.

The government, however, denied this and Apandi has since cleared the prime minister of any wrongdoing.