PETALING JAYA – Former judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram has recommended Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri Idrus Harun as the new Attorney-General (AG).
In an interview with local radio station Lite, Sri Ram said Idrus would be a good candidate as the latter had the required experience to be AG.
“He was a solicitor-general. He is a very good person to have in mind for AG. So if the Prime Minister were to ask me and (former Federal Court judge) Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman whom we would recommend, we would probably say Idrus Harun,” said Sri Ram.
He added that Idrus would make a good AG as he understands the workings of the Attorney-General’s Chambers as he had been there for some time.
He also said that he had met Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at least twice, but did not discuss the appointment of the AG.
Sri Ram said Idrus was “eased out in the political machination” following the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
“He has been thrust into the Court of Appeal, an arena which he is quite unfamiliar with. He would best serve the nation if he went back into the Chambers and became the AG,” he added.
Dr Mahathir proposed senior lawyer Tommy Thomas for the AG post, which the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V reportedly does not agree with.
Dr Mahathir is adamant about replacing Tan Sri Apandi Ali and submitted Thomas’ name as the sole candidate.
According to a source, however, Sultan Muhammad V suggested four names to Dr Mahathir, including an existing Federal Court judge and a Court of Appeal judge. – ANN
Aziz Bari: MPs Hanipa, Sivarasa, Baru, Ngeh can be AG nominees
IPOH – Constitutional expert-turned-lawmaker Abdul Aziz Bari has suggested today that Pakatan Harapan (PH) is more than able to name one of its MPs as the Attorney-General (AG) nominee, amid an impasse involving the Malay Rulers.
The Tebing Tinggi assemblyman has suggested four names: Mohd Hanipa Maidin, R. Sivarasa, Baru Bian, and Datuk Ngeh Ko Ham.
The four are MPs for Sepang (Parti Amanah Negara), Sungai Buloh (DAP), Selangau (PKR), and Beruas (DAP), respectively.
“We have many MPs who can be considered as AG … Additionally, all the four MPs have more than 20 years’ [in] practice,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
Aziz said he is a proponent of having an MP as the AG, as he would be more accessible to the Parliament.
“The current practice of having a career AG was started by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed in the 80s.
“[It started] with the appointment of Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman by Tun. [Since then] we started to have merry-go-round as the AG hides behind ministers or vice-versa,” he said.
Aziz noted that Malaysia used to have AG who sat as Cabinet ministers such as Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Yusuf and Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah before Dr Mahathir became prime minister in 1981.
“An AG who is a non-MP is prone to become the bell-boy of the government,” he warned.
Aziz’s comments came in response to reports that the Malay Rulers would meet tomorrow for a special discussion regarding the appointment of a new AG, after Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government’s sole candidate is lawyer Tommy Thomas.
Several Pakatan Harapan leaders have explained that while its manifesto has promised an MP as the AG, it has to come after the post is separated from the role as public prosecutor.
They also insisted that the move needs amending the Federal Constituion, which requires the support of two-thirds of the Parliament.
On Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching’s statement that the government can only keep its electoral vow to have one of its MPs assume the AG post after the separation of judicial powers takes place, Aziz said that move was impossible as PH does not command two-third majority in Parliament.
“Here we have qualified MPs [for the post] but they are not appointed to the post. It puts PH in a bad light as nominating a MP as AG was in its manifesto,” he said.
“A promise is a promise. Why beat around the bush now?” he asked, adding that with PH now holding Federal power, it has the means to do it.
– https://www.malaymail.com
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