AGC seeks to stop Dr M’s lawyer from intervening in suit against CJ

Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is attempting to stop lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla from taking part in the lawsuit brought by fellow lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo against the chief justice on alleged interference in her late father’s sedition case.

Haniff said senior federal counsel S Narkunavathy had informed High Court judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril today about the AGC’s stand on his application to intervene in the lawsuit.

“The court asked the AGC to file their affidavit within two weeks,” he said after attending the suit today.

He added that he had an interest and was the subject matter in Sangeet’s case.

He also said the court had set Aug 29 to hear his bid to participate in the suit.

“If the court thinks I cannot intervene on points of law, the alternative remedy I sought was to be given the right to submit as amicus curiae (friend of the court),” he said.

Haniff had sought to intervene after Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer filed an affidavit in Sangeet’s suit.

Hamid alleged that senior judges had interfered in the decision on numerous appeals, including the sedition case of late DAP chairman Karpal Singh.

He also claimed some judges had abetted in scams carried out by nominees of politicians who had entered into contracts with the government.

The AGC had sought to expunge Hamid’s affidavit on grounds that it was based on hearsay.

Sangeet filed the suit against the chief justice in January, seeking a court declaration that the top judge had failed in his duty to preserve and protect the integrity of the judiciary.

Richard Malanjum was the chief justice when the lawsuit was filed. He retired on April 13.

Meanwhile, Haniff also questioned the contradicting positions taken by the AGC in Sangeet’s lawsuit and that of former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee.

Yong filed his suit after the government announced that a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) would be set up to look into the allegations of judicial interference.

He claimed the decision to set up the RCI was unconstitutional.“In Yong’s case, the AGC is objecting to the lawsuit on grounds that the RCI is the government’s prerogative, but for Sangeet’s case they want to expunge the judge’s affidavit,” Haniff said, adding that Hamid’s affidavit was what had triggered the government’s announcement of an RCI. - FMT