Shafee should be cited for contempt of court - DAP veteran

 

A DAP veteran has called for former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s counsel, Shafee Abdullah, to be cited for contempt of court for his remarks over the High Court decision on his client’s bid for house arrest yesterday.

Teng Chang Khim described the senior lawyer’s statement, made after the proceedings at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, as “ridiculous and amusing”.

Shafee had claimed that the Kuala Lumpur High Court's dismissal of Najib’s house arrest bid was a verdict that reduces the powers of the Malay rulers and governors on matters of pardons brought before them.

“How could a lawyer expect that he would win in every case he appears in court? Was this the first time he lost his client’s case in his entire career as a counsel?

“His remarks that the decision had reduced the powers of the Agong and the Malay rulers were absolutely political, and it was unethical and unbecoming of a member of the Malaysian Bar to make such a remark outside the courtroom,” Teng (above) said on Facebook.

He pointed out that Shafee’s remarks would have been “perfectly alright” if they were made during appeal proceedings in his capacity as a counsel performing his duty under the laws, where he would be protected by privilege.

However, this is not the case if he does so outside of the courtroom, Teng added.

Senior counsel Shafee Abdullah

This is especially so when the judge was only carrying out her judicial duty of interpreting the constitutional provision in accordance with the established laws.

“It will not make him (Shafee) win his client's case in court, but will certainly incite racial hatred and raise suspicion against the integrity of the judiciary.

“Therefore, Shafee should be cited for contempt of court and necessary disciplinary action should be taken against him by the Bar Council,” Teng said.

Najib stays in jail

Yesterday, judge Alice Loke dismissed Najib’s judicial review application to seek the validity of a royal decree deemed an addendum order that permits him to serve the remainder of his jail sentence at home.

The court found that the addendum order was invalid.

Najib, in his application, claimed that the royal addendum was a supplementary order to the Pardons Board’s decision in late January last year to halve his 12-year SRC International jail sentence and reduce his RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak

The sentence stems from convictions for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42 million from SRC International.

Following the High Court’s dismissal, Najib will remain in Kajang Prison to serve the rest of his sentence pending his appeal.

With his reduced jail time of six years, Najib’s sentence ends in August 2028. However, he may be released on good behaviour in August next year after serving two-thirds of his revised sentence. - Mkini