Make police report against AG, not whistleblowers

YOURSAY | ‘The AG revealed, though unintentionally, smoking gun secrets to the media.’

Police report to be filed over media leaks, says MACC chief

Vijay47: That's a good idea, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim Mohamed, but would the police report be made after or before you appeal against the attorney-general's decision finding PM Najib Razak innocent?

As a small tip for you, the first person you should lodge a police report against is the AG; not only did he reveal, though unintentionally, smoking gun secrets to the media, he actually called for a press conference to do so.

Kim Quek: Abu Kassim said that the AG’s power to prosecute as conferred under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution is “absolute and cannot be challenged by any authority”.

Let me quote Article 145(3) in full: “The Attorney General shall have power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceeding for an offence, other than proceedings before a Syariah court, a native court or a court martial.”

So, Abu Kassim, which part of Article 145(3) prescribes that the AG’s power to prosecute is “absolute and cannot be challenged by any authority”? Obviously, there is none.

In fact, there are court precedents confirming that the attorney-general’s decision can be challenged when it is wrongly or unlawfully exercised.

He can even be prosecuted for criminal conduct such as wilful abuse of power or criminal collusion in the exercise of his prosecutorial power.

Our constitution is so written that no one – let me repeat, no one – is above the law and immune from the process of law.

In the current case, MACC has recommended charges against Najib, based on incontrovertible evidence of crime, but the AG declared Najib innocent and ordered you to close the case.

Abu Kassim, are you going to lie down and let the AG walk over you, or are you going to fulfil your oath of office and tell the AG that he has no power to issue any order to you, and take him to court instead to account for his unlawful decision to exempt Najib from prosecution?

Anticonmen: Kim Quek says "our constitution is so written that no one – let me repeat, no one – is above the law and immune from the process of law".

This is true only if all four institutions - viz royalty, parliament, judiciary and the executive - are really independent of one another and form a check and balance on one another's powers.

In Malaysia, this important constitutional prerequisite was gradually removed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and now the executive controls everything because the original 1957 constitution was allowed by Parliament to be amended many times in order to facilitate the executive's grip on power.

The monster was allowed to be created by Abdul Razak Hussein and Mahathir in the first place. As one intelligent English lady called Clare Rewcastle-Brown has now correctly pointed out, "A few foxes have taken control of the chicken coop".

But, the chickens allowed the foxes into the coop in the first place due to the stupid politicians.

Slumdog: Where in the civilised democratic world would you have a law such as this that gives one man absolute and unchallenged power with no checks and balances to ensure that he does not abuse this power?

This must change because if left unchecked the incumbent AG will protect the PM, any minister or any other person from prosecution, as in the case with Najib, from any criminal activity or crime committed by them.

Nobrain: Abu Kassim reiterated that MACC is not disputing nor challenging the AG’s decision to clear the prime minister.

If that is the case, why bother to send the case for review. Instead MACC should challenge it in the court.

There are cases where the judges had ruled that if the AG did not act in good faith and honestly, his decision could be challenged.

Legit: Abu Kassim is either another sycophant of Najib or he must have been threatened with his life, like what happened to the late deputy public prosecutor Kevin Morais.

All these top civil servants have sold their souls to the devil and the integrity of the entire system in the country has been compromised. I guess we now just watch how this nation turns into another Zimbabwe.

Anonymous_1371572585: Yet another Malaysian institution sacrificing truth and justice for form and procedure.

These are men who find solace in rules and regulations but cannot examine their conscience and find the right thing to do.

Each day the country sinks deeper into a quagmire and the people don't know who in the government can be trusted any more.

Anonymous #40538199: During the darkest hours of carrying out their duty to perform the investigation, MACC officials prayed to God for intervention and protection. Abu Kassim, don't forget that.

Fair&Just: As usual, frightened crooks going after the honest whistleblowers in order to cover up the truth. -Mkini