Lawyers behind motion on AG's removal summoned under Sedition Act

Lawyers who submitted the motion to discuss Attorney-General Mohamad Apandi Ali's position for refusing to prosecute Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over deposits in his personal bank accounts have been summoned by police under the Sedition Act.

Francis Pereira, one of three lawyers who proposed the motion at the Malaysian Bar annual general assembly (AGM) on March 19, confirmed that he received a letter from Bukit Aman.

He added that the letter also named his colleague R Shanmugam, who was another proposer of the motion.

"The Bukit Aman letter stated clearly that it is with regards to a police report made over the motion presented at the Bar AGM.

"They said the investigation is under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Section 4(1) concerns offences which has a seditious tendency.

Pereira said he and Shanmugam were summoned to give their witness statements under Section 112 but is unclear if they would merely be facilitating investigations or may become the subject of investigation.

Pereira described the police probe as "shocking" and an intrusion into the Malaysian Bar's independence.

"We are shocked and susrprised that the police has taken this investigation to the lawyers.

"Clearly this was a motion debated at out AGM which was a closed door meeting.

"There is no basis for opening an investigation on this and it is definitely an intrusion into the independence of the Bar," he said.

The motion, after debate at the Malaysian Bar, resulted a resolution calling for Apandi's resignation.

Malaysiakini is still attempting to contact the third proposer of the motion, Charles Hector, if he had received a similar letter.

[More to follow]

-Mkini