Umno man demands that A-G be a political appointee, says report

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has allegedly failed to handle controversial issues, especially those involving the monarch and Islamic institutions, says an Umno-controlled paper. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 31, 2014.

An Umno leader has called on Putrajaya to consider having an Attorney-General (A-G) who is a political appointee in view of Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's failure to handle controversial issues, the Umno-controlled Mingguan Malaysia reported today.

Rasah Umno division vice-chairman Datuk Abdul Karim Mustafa said the need to replace Gani stemmed from his failure to address effectively issues, especially involving the monarch and Islamic institutions.

Karim said the late Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Yusuf, who served as A-G between 1963 and 1977, and the late Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah (1977-1980), were in the Cabinet in their capacity as law ministers.

Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, a member of the judicial and legal service, was appointed A-G from 1980 to 1993 and the trend remained.

An A-G, who is also a minister, can be held accountable in Parliament as he has to answer queries by elected representatives.

A civil servant like Gani was only accountable to the prime minister and the Cabinet, the paper said.

Gani was appointed in 2002 and would retire in October 2015 when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60.

"His (Gani) inability to act in matters of great importance and urgency has forced us rethink the appointment method of the A-G," Karim was quoted as saying during his winding-up speech at the division’s meeting yesterday.

Karim said the matter could be discussed more widely to get feedback from various parties.

The A-G is the principal legal adviser to the government and his role and responsibilities are provided for in Article 145 of the Federal Constitution.

He also doubles up as public prosecutor and could exercise his discretion to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for criminal offences.

On Friday, veteran DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Gani should resign or be replaced if he could not discharge his duty of public accountability to explain whether he has been guilty of selective and malicious prosecution in the recent slew of charges against Pakatan Rakyat MPs and assemblymen.

Last week, Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, Shah Alam MP and PAS central committee member Khalid Samad, and DAP Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer were charged with sedition.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli was charged with breaching the peace for insulting Umno member while former Perak MP and Changkat Jering assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was charged with criminal defamation for a statement he had allegedly made two years ago.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and PKR Batu MP Tian Chua are also facing trial for sedition.

Critics said the move as an attempt by Putrajaya to silence its political foes and threaten to remove them from public office as any jail term for more than one year and fine of RM2,000 would render them disqualified.

Kok, who is DAP national vice-chairman, has gone a step further and accused Gani of practising selective prosecution.

Her matter will be heard on September 18.

- TMI