Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was recently replaced by Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali as Malaysia's Attorney General. ― File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali is a “suitable” man for the Attorney-General’s job as the former Federal Court judge is experienced, Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said today amid questions about Apandi’s role after he replaced Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in the middle of an investigation on 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“It is alright. Suitable man because he got experiences, all around experiences,” Arifin told reporters at the courthouse here.

Apandi was appointed last month as the new AG, replacing Abdul Gani before the latter’s compulsory retirement in October, who was then heading a special taskforce investigating corruption allegations involving the state-owned 1MDB.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which was part of the special taskforce, said in a statement yesterday that Apandi had shut down the taskforce on the basis that it was no longer needed.

As Federal Court judge, Apandi was most known for a controversial decision in 2013, when he chaired a three-member Court of Appeal bench that ruled unanimously against allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in its weekly publication, the Herald.

 

In that same year, Apandi also led a Court of Appeal panel that decided in a unanimous ruling to acquit former police commandos Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri of the high-profile 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. Both have since been convicted of murder.