The court case involving Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has the potential to propel attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali to greater heights, according to Zaid Ibrahim.

The former law minister was commenting on Apandi leading the prosecution.

Zaid, who was present at the Georgetown Sessions Court where Lim was slapped with two charges this morning, claimed that the AG appeared jovial and was smiling profusely.

"Of course he was confident. No AG would do a case of this sort, where the people are watching, unless he can secure a conviction.

"Not just the people watching, but his boss (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) too. After all this is an important case that if successful can propel AG to greater height," he tweeted.

However, Zaid said he felt that the case is not as straight forward as the AG might think.

Apandi was appointed last year after his predecessor Abdul Gani Patail was removed on health grounds.

However, critics claimed that Gani’s removal was linked to the special task force investigating issues related to Najib and 1MDB.

The government denied this.

Meanwhile, Zaid also argued that there is no reason for Lim to relinquish his chief minister post.

He said this is because the DAP secretary-general has no power to influence the case.

"He has no power to sack the AG, ask the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to close the file or send the (presiding) judge to Gua Musang," he added.

Lim was charged under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly re-zoning a plot of land from agriculture to commercial use.

He was also charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code for the alleged purchasing of a bungalow unit on Jalan Pinhorn below market value.

Meanwhile, businesswoman Phang Li Khoon, who sold the bungalow to Lim, was also charged in the same court.

Following this, there were calls from certain quarters for Lim to step down as chief minister.