Kit Siang offers rare praise for PM after 'nobody is above the law' remark

Kit Siang offers rare praise for PM after 'nobody is above the law' remark

Veteran opposition MP Lim Kit Siang has praised Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who said yesterday that "nobody is above the law".

"(It has) reinforced confidence that the new prime minister will uphold the rule of law and good governance principles.

"(It also) brightened the prospects of a confidence, supply and reform agreement between the government and the opposition," said Lim in a statement today.

Ismail Sabri's first test, said Lim, was to uphold and not appeal against the landmark decision by the Sarawak High Court in Kuching ordering the government and the Election Commission (EC) to reduce the voting age to 18 by the end of this year.

"If Ismail follows through with his tweet, he will have passed this test," said Lim.

He was referring to Ismail Sabri's tweet yesterday on the death of security guard S Thava Sagayam, 64, who died after fighting for his life in the hospital for eight months following an assault.

"Justice must, and will take its course," wrote the prime minister on Twitter, not long after reaching out to the guard's family yesterday.

The assailant - Noor Azhar Muhammad - was initially charged with "causing grievous hurt". Critics have urged prosecutors to probe the assailant for murder.

The tweet was a reply to opposition lawmaker M Kula Segaran, who has been offering support to Thava Sagayam's family.

Since coming to power on Aug 21, Ismail Sabri has indicated he will be more inclusive than his predecessor.

He initiated talks with top Pakatan Harapan leaders and made room for the opposition in the National Recovery Council and Special Committee on Covid-19.

Following this, Harapan leaders appear to be warming up to Ismail Sabri, who was made prime minister with a very tenuous majority in the Dewan Rakyat.