Cabinet paper next week on RCI for Tommy Thomas' book

 

PARLIAMENT | The government is moving ahead with plans to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate issues raised in former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ memoir.

“A cabinet memorandum on this will be tabled in the upcoming cabinet meeting on March 3, 2023,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

She told the Dewan Rakyat today the government intends to look into the allegations contained in the book, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’ as well as examine issues related to the integrity and independence of judicial and legal institutions in Malaysia through the RCI.

"The cabinet memorandum regarding the matter will be presented in the cabinet meeting to be held on March 3," she revealed during the speech of her ministry in the Parliament today.

It was announced last month that the cabinet will be establishing the RCI after reviewing proposals made by the special task force that probed the former attorney-general’s memoir.

Azalina emphasised that the special task force, which was set up in December 2021 and headed by former Sarawak attorney-general Fong Joo Chung, presented the proposals in an open manner without any biases.

She then stated that any dispute against the proposals would be “inappropriate and unfounded”.

“The proposals were clearly produced in an open manner and were not biased towards any party.

“The findings and recommendations that have been presented are the results of consultation sessions and interviews with various stakeholders,” she stated.

Azalina also mentioned that the task force’s findings and recommendations can be found on the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform)’s website.

Previously, the minister denied claims that the RCI was being formed to enact a form of revenge or to find fault against Thomas.

In response to the flak the government received for initiating the investigation, Azalina stressed that it was a better avenue to look into Thomas’ book compared to a special task force.

Referring to Thomas' affidavit that was submitted to the High Court earlier this month, she highlighted that the former attorney-general had raised doubts about the task force's legitimacy.

The probe on the memoir was initiated by the previous Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration over allegations of misconduct by the former attorney-general. - Mkini