Judge withdraws from Azmin’s suit to declassify A-G’s 1MDB report

Justice Azizah Nawawi says it is inappropriate for her to be trial judge as her husband is Selangor state legal adviser.

KUALA LUMPUR: High Court judge Azizah Nawawi who is scheduled to hear Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali’s suit to declassify the Auditor-General’s report on 1MDB has disqualified herself.

Azmin’s lawyer Ganesan Nethi said Azizah recused herself from hearing the case as her husband Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman is the current Selangor state legal adviser.

“The case has been transferred to another judge and a case management will be held on May 23,” he said.

The case was earlier heard before justice Hanipah Farikullah who has been transferred to the Shah Alam High Court.

Government lawyer Shamsul Bolhassan appeared for former A-G Ambrin Buang, Prime Minister Najib Razak and the government.

Hanipah had earlier granted leave to Azmin and PPBM supreme council member Zahid Md Arip to hear their judicial review applications.

Azmin, in his judicial review application, cited Ambrin’s testimony during Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli’s trial under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) that he (A-G) classified the report on Najib’s instruction.

Azmin, who is also Gombak MP and PKR deputy president, said the A-G and Najib could not hide behind the OSA in refusing to make public the report.

Azmin said there was also a conflict of interest on Najib’s part due to the latter’s role at that time as 1MDB adviser.

Zahid in his application against Najib and Ambrin said classifying the report under the OSA was a breach of the law.

He said the audit report should be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when it was completed.

It is now unclear whether Zahid’s matter would be heard before Azizah but a case management is to be held on May 30. -FMT