The appointment of Tommy Thomas as the new Attorney-General has generated renewed interest in the ruling coalition’s Election Manifesto. In the Manifesto, Pakatan Harapan has articulated lucidly in Janji (promise) 15 the importance of separating the office of Public Prosecutor from that of the Attorney-General. Because of the danger of a conflict of interest, it argues that the two roles should be separated. It pledges to take immediate action towards this end.
The Attorney-General would be chosen from among qualified members of parliament and he would be appointed as a Minister serving as the legal adviser to the government. The Public Prosecutor on the other hand would have autonomy to conduct prosecution without fear or favour.
The Pakatan Harapan government has not lived up to this pledge. Thomas is not a member of parliament. He is not accountable in the legal sense to the people through an elected parliament. Of course, he is required, like all other public officials, to uphold the Malaysian Constitution.
The Attorney-General would be chosen from among qualified members of parliament and he would be appointed as a Minister serving as the legal adviser to the government. The Public Prosecutor on the other hand would have autonomy to conduct prosecution without fear or favour.
The Pakatan Harapan government has not lived up to this pledge. Thomas is not a member of parliament. He is not accountable in the legal sense to the people through an elected parliament. Of course, he is required, like all other public officials, to uphold the Malaysian Constitution.
While his formal appointment is by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, his real nexus of power is with the Prime Minister. It is the Prime Minister who will exercise authority over him and direct his actions.
We have witnessed in recent times what this nexus between the Attorney-General and Prime Minister can lead to. The former Attorney-General protected Prime Minister Najib Razak though the latter’s misdeed was blatant. The AG saw himself as serving Najib’s interests.
One of the reasons why such stark abuse of roles did not occur in the sixties and seventies was because the Attorney-General in those years was responsible to Parliament through the Cabinet. This practice was brought to an end in the early eighties with the ascendancy of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. Parliamentary accountability was replaced with a direct relationship between the Attorney-General and the Prime Minister. [...]
We have witnessed in recent times what this nexus between the Attorney-General and Prime Minister can lead to. The former Attorney-General protected Prime Minister Najib Razak though the latter’s misdeed was blatant. The AG saw himself as serving Najib’s interests.
One of the reasons why such stark abuse of roles did not occur in the sixties and seventies was because the Attorney-General in those years was responsible to Parliament through the Cabinet. This practice was brought to an end in the early eighties with the ascendancy of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. Parliamentary accountability was replaced with a direct relationship between the Attorney-General and the Prime Minister. [...]
Tommy Thomas, whatever his strengths, will continue to be burdened by concerns that have been ventilated through the alternative media.
What is his record in prosecuting high profile criminal cases?
How fluent is he in the national language which is after all the principal language in the administration of justice in our country?
Why did he abandon the nation in the wake of the 1987 ISA swoop and the 1988 judicial crisis when some of us went to jail and campaigned against great odds for justice for the sacked judges?
What is his record in prosecuting high profile criminal cases?
How fluent is he in the national language which is after all the principal language in the administration of justice in our country?
Why did he abandon the nation in the wake of the 1987 ISA swoop and the 1988 judicial crisis when some of us went to jail and campaigned against great odds for justice for the sacked judges?
Two points:
(1) The concerns about the independence of the AG is once again expressed by Chandra, based on the historical record since 1981, of that same PM changing the accountability of the AG to parliament over to him the PM, and thus of the PM exerting undue influence on him.
(2) Where was the voice of Tommy Thomas during Ops Lalang and the 1988 judicial crisis?
Where was Ktemoc when Najib raped the Attorney General's office by summarily sacking the previous AG and appointing Apandi ?
ReplyDeleteand where were you?
DeleteYup, I thoroughly condemned the political move as obstruction of justice , as the AG was investigating Najib's alleged involvement in 1MDB.
DeleteKtemoc was as quiet as a mouse.
I can't stand all these hypocrites heroes who only now coming out of the woodwork.
That previous was the same person that prosecuted Anwar. Why should he be treated so special?
DeleteMonster,
DeleteThis is called hypocrisy as explained by this leng lui, Francesca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGzOy6YTFIQ
Here is the press release by Ku Li
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVQpEJ5UW5g&t=95s
I am just asking that cheebye kaytee......Ku Li is actually the last of mochicans......Am I right? Or Kaytee is still living in alternate universe where his cojones are held tightly by Najib
You had opined that Apandi had willfully concealing evidence/documents in order to hamper investigation on 1MDB, but where are those hidden evidence/documents now? Did Apandi destroy all of them? Thus, you now have to build up the 1MDB case against Najib from scratch? Obstructing a federal investigation is a serious felony, you should give your best endeavour to ask the court to deliver the maximum penalty.
DeleteYes, Unknown. Prove me wrong! Must swear to your Allah first ensuring that if you defend the wicked your zakar will be gone. Can?
DeleteHisham Rais has much to say about people like you
Hi Looes.. Pauline said you should try to make yours longer like your elongated tongue. Wakakaka..
Deletewakakaka
DeleteSo now unknown loves pauline. You know what pauline hanson said about muslims like you. Unknown.
DeleteKaytee......i have spoken to that air itam laksa owner.....he doesnt know who cheebye kaytee is
Very surprise why Ktemoc has missed/left out news on the Bank Negara Governor's resignahtion and his statement especially on 1MDB. Guess it was too trivial as compare with Vincent Tan's. Wakakaka..........
ReplyDeleteKaytee has missed out a lot of things. But one thing Cheebye kaytee will miss out consistently.......mentioning anything bad about Najib
DeleteKtemoc is very biased... in favour of the former regime
Deletenot my job to blog on EVERYTHING
DeleteYes.....especially on najib. Kaytee is indebted to najib.
DeleteI looked at this blogging thingy and it seems quite straightforward to do (https://www.shoutmeloud.com/how-to-start-a-free-blog-using-blogspot-com.html).
DeleteSo I wonder why these numbnuts don't start a "Whack a Najib/BN/UMNO" blog like you did. Why are they still here?
I wanna see the day kaytee commit seppuku on his blogging crime. The day is closing in for kaytee
DeleteLooes, yu can start your own blogsite. Call it Looes loose lickety lick licker or preferably Pauline's Favourite. hohohoho!
DeleteWhere was TT in 1988? He only started his career in 1982. In 1988 he was probably still a junior lawyer at Skrine & Co and his opinion, no matter how loud he may have shouted, would not have made any difference.
ReplyDeleteIn 1988 TT was probably just a junior lawyer at Skrine & Co. I doubt his opinion would have been heard or made any difference in the judicial crisis.
ReplyDeleteLooks like using TT to bash and make PH manifesto and promises look bad.
ReplyDeleteReaders must be aware by now that all those who are now shouting PH is not fullfilling their Manifestos are actually supporters of BN and continuing their agenda of disrupting and creating doubts on the integrity of PH leaders.
To me, PH has 5 long years to fulfill their promises and manifestos and even if not fulfilled after trying their best to do so due to various constraints eg, lack of funds, new laws to be enacted, other higher priorities not forseen etc.; "SO WHAT?"
TT having been duly appointed should go ahead and do his job while waiting for a duly appointed MP to take over and answerable to Parliament.
No way, he should stop doing his job or resign just because the conditions for the post in PH manifesto says otherwise.
That's the wish of crooks, criminals, corruptors, collaborators, abettors, prepaid opposition bloggers etc.
Who cares what they are spouting from their mouths. They aren't the actual supporters of PH anyway.
what about Kaytee? I also wonder why till now kaytee never make char siew out of nostro piggy
Delete