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Report: Law minister orders probe into early closure of bail counter at KL court complex ahead of Aidilfitri weekend
Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that the legal affairs division in her ministry has been tasked to investigate the allegations. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Saturday, 22 Apr 2023 3:24 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The government will initiate investigations into allegations that the early closure of a bail counter at the court complex here forced six accused people to spend the long Hari Raya Aidilfitri weekend in jail.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said told news portal Free Malaysia Today that the legal affairs division in her ministry has been tasked to investigate the allegations.
“The right to bail is a fundamental and constitutional human right that the government respects without question.
“Any act, including administrative issues, that interfere with this right is viewed as flouting this cardinal principle,” she was quoted as saying in the news report published this afternoon.
Azalina was reported to be replying to lawyer Alvin Tan who represented the six accused.
“If the claims made by the accused’s lawyer are true, this certainly needs to be reviewed and corrected to ensure administrative errors such as this do not repeat,” she was quoted as saying.
Several news outlets had reported Tan saying last Thursday that the bail counter closed at 2.53pm despite a notice stating that it will operate until 4.30pm.
As a result, the six accused — two of whom were said to require medical attention — were denied their constitutional right to post bail and had to spend time behind bars.
The six were among 10 accused who had claimed trial to criminal conspiracy with the intention to cheat.
The other four accused were reported to have been released as their bail was processed before the court counter closed.
The bail counter was also not open yesterday as Friday had been announced as an extra public holiday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on April 18, to mark Aidilfitri today.
Former deputy law minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin criticised the early closure of the bail counter, calling it unacceptable and unconstitutional.
The former Sepang MP said in a statement that it could also open up the government to civil suits, including the tort of misfeasance in public office.
Saturday, 22 Apr 2023 3:24 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The government will initiate investigations into allegations that the early closure of a bail counter at the court complex here forced six accused people to spend the long Hari Raya Aidilfitri weekend in jail.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said told news portal Free Malaysia Today that the legal affairs division in her ministry has been tasked to investigate the allegations.
“The right to bail is a fundamental and constitutional human right that the government respects without question.
“Any act, including administrative issues, that interfere with this right is viewed as flouting this cardinal principle,” she was quoted as saying in the news report published this afternoon.
Azalina was reported to be replying to lawyer Alvin Tan who represented the six accused.
“If the claims made by the accused’s lawyer are true, this certainly needs to be reviewed and corrected to ensure administrative errors such as this do not repeat,” she was quoted as saying.
Several news outlets had reported Tan saying last Thursday that the bail counter closed at 2.53pm despite a notice stating that it will operate until 4.30pm.
As a result, the six accused — two of whom were said to require medical attention — were denied their constitutional right to post bail and had to spend time behind bars.
The six were among 10 accused who had claimed trial to criminal conspiracy with the intention to cheat.
The other four accused were reported to have been released as their bail was processed before the court counter closed.
The bail counter was also not open yesterday as Friday had been announced as an extra public holiday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on April 18, to mark Aidilfitri today.
Former deputy law minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin criticised the early closure of the bail counter, calling it unacceptable and unconstitutional.
The former Sepang MP said in a statement that it could also open up the government to civil suits, including the tort of misfeasance in public office.
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kt comments:
One reason why I like Azalina - she doesn't kerbau in order to become jaguh kampong. She sticks to principles and legal correctness, and indeed has the guts to do so. Pity our Malaysia still has so much prejudice or she'd have made a damn good PM.
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