‘Inappropriate’ for Apandi to head Pulau Batu Puteh task force, says lawyer
The government has agreed to set up a task force to review laws relating to the Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh sovereignty dispute.
PETALING JAYA: Former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali could be in a conflict of interest as head of a new government task force to study the Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) sovereignty case, a lawyer suggested today.
The lawyer, Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al-Mahzar, said Apandi had been the official who had taken steps to seek a review of the case at the International Court of Justice, which had been asked by Malaysia and Singapore to decide on which country held the sovereignty of the island.
The review application was filed in February 2017 by the Barisan Nasional government, but was withdrawn by the incoming Pakatan Harapan government of Dr Mahathir Mohamad after PH won the May 2018 general election.
Later that month, the world court decided that sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh (known as Pedra Blanca in Singapore) rested with Singapore.
PETALING JAYA: Former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali could be in a conflict of interest as head of a new government task force to study the Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) sovereignty case, a lawyer suggested today.
The lawyer, Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al-Mahzar, said Apandi had been the official who had taken steps to seek a review of the case at the International Court of Justice, which had been asked by Malaysia and Singapore to decide on which country held the sovereignty of the island.
The review application was filed in February 2017 by the Barisan Nasional government, but was withdrawn by the incoming Pakatan Harapan government of Dr Mahathir Mohamad after PH won the May 2018 general election.
Later that month, the world court decided that sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh (known as Pedra Blanca in Singapore) rested with Singapore.
Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al-Mahzar.
Syed Iskandar said it was inappropriate for the government to appoint Apandi as chairman of the task force to look into the withdrawal of the review application.
He also pointed out that matters relating to the review of the Pulau Batu Puteh case was the subject of a suit being heard by the High Court, in which the government had already filed its defence.
Actions of the task force in connection with the suit could be construed as contempt of court, he suggested.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Cabinet had agreed to set up a special task force which would seek the views of international legal experts about a request to review the ICJ decision.
Ismail said the Cabinet had also decided to obtain preliminary legal views about any negligence in the decision to discontinue the review and interpretation of the ICJ judgement.
A suit was filed in May to seek an explanation from the government on why the review application was withdrawn. The government and the prime minister were named as defendants. They filed their defence on Friday.
Ismail had also announced committees to be set up to investigate the death of firefighter Adib Mohd Kassim and to look into allegations about the judiciary made by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas.
Syed Iskandar said it was inappropriate for the government to appoint Apandi as chairman of the task force to look into the withdrawal of the review application.
He also pointed out that matters relating to the review of the Pulau Batu Puteh case was the subject of a suit being heard by the High Court, in which the government had already filed its defence.
Actions of the task force in connection with the suit could be construed as contempt of court, he suggested.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Cabinet had agreed to set up a special task force which would seek the views of international legal experts about a request to review the ICJ decision.
Ismail said the Cabinet had also decided to obtain preliminary legal views about any negligence in the decision to discontinue the review and interpretation of the ICJ judgement.
A suit was filed in May to seek an explanation from the government on why the review application was withdrawn. The government and the prime minister were named as defendants. They filed their defence on Friday.
Ismail had also announced committees to be set up to investigate the death of firefighter Adib Mohd Kassim and to look into allegations about the judiciary made by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas.
No man may sit in judgement of his own case.
ReplyDeleteThe principle is about 3,800 years old, written in the Code of Hammurabi during the 1st Babylonian Dynasty,
apprroximately 1770 BCE.
The oldest recorded legal text in the world, but UMNO has not heard of the principle.
Apandi is oso suing Toonsie. WTF……? If this was a cabinet decision then the entire cabinet has the IQ of a potato.
ReplyDeleteQUOTE
Ex-AG Apandi sues Dr Mahathir, govt; seeks RM2.23m as compensation over job dismissal
Tuesday, 13 Oct 2020
BY IDA LIM
Former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali is pictured at at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, February 24, 2020. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Former attorney general Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali today filed a lawsuit against former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the federal government, and is seeking compensation of more than RM2.23 million for what he claimed to be an “unlawful termination” in June 2018 of him as the top government lawyer.
UNQUOTE
Malaysia was bested by Singapore in the Pulau Batu Puteh saga.
ReplyDeleteWe should blame our incompetent team for losing the case. And I remember there was a photograph purportedly showing the closeness of the island to our border. But this was proven to be a doctored photo - to our shame.