Bar questions impartiality of task force after PM’s ‘ammunition’ claim

 

Bar president Karen Cheah also questioned the legitimacy of the task force set up to probe claims made in former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ book. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar is perturbed by the declassification of a report on allegations made by a former attorney-general (AG) in a memoir and questioned the impartiality of the task force that investigated the claims.

Bar president Karen Cheah noted that caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had admitted that he declassified the report so that it could be used as political “ammunition” to attack the opposition.

“Such blatant admission, if true, begs the question of good faith in the establishment of the special task force and whether the report was nonpartisan and reliable,” she said in a statement.

Cheah went on to say that the Bar had taken issue with the legitimacy of the task force, as the rightful approach should have been by way of an independent investigation under a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

“The special task force was established by the executive, thereby raising the issue of partiality and whether it can be truly independent.”

Cheah added that the declassification of the report was “untimely” in view of the dissolution of Parliament.

She also said if there were reports that should be declassified as a matter of urgency, the ones on the enforced disappearances of activist Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh should take priority.

A task force set up to look into their disappearances, along with two others, had submitted its report to the government at the end of February 2019.

The report on the special task force’s probe on former AG Tommy Thomas’ book, “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness” which was published in January last year, was declassified last Friday.

The task force had been formed to investigate allegations about the judiciary, and possible exposure of government secrets, abuse of power, professional negligence and seditious statements.

In September, the Prime Minister’s Office revealed that Thomas was to be investigated for sedition and various other offences as recommended in the task force report.

Meanwhile, Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said Ismail’s call for the declassified report to be used as “ammunition” and subsequent call for legal action to be taken against Thomas demonstrated the dire need for the Attorney-General’s Chambers to be reformed.

The role of the public prosecutor must be separated from that of the AG.

“Executive interference in the judicial process must end and the rule of law upheld.” - FMT