KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 ― Malaysia cannot afford a delay in appointment of a new Attorney-General (AG) as doing so will disrupt the implementation of key institutional and legal reforms, Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) said today.
The lawyers group’s adviser N. Surendran pointed out that the country currently does not have a functioning AG with the incumbent Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali put on garden leave.
“Any further delay in appointing a new AG is bound to hold up or disrupt the important institutional and legal reforms now expected by the people, as well as the widely expected prosecutions in the massive 1Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandal,” he said in a statement.
Apandi is said to be complicit in the 1MDB scandal after clearing its creator and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of wrongdoing in the sovereign investment firm, but has refused to resign from office.
Surendran said Apandi’s services should be terminated as the latter “does not enjoy the confidence of the new PM and his reforming government”.
He added that neither a tribunal nor an enquiry is needed for Apandi’s termination as the prime minister could advise the King to do so at any given time under Article 145(5) of the Federal Constitution.
The lawyer also said the constitution empowers the prime minister to select the appropriate person to be AG and that the King must act on the PM’s advice.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is reported to have picked senior lawyer Tommy Thomas as his sole nominee for the next AG.
However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V has also been reported to have asked for other nominees.
The conflict in the selection has been put down to several factors, including the royal institution’s preference for a Malay Muslim and a former judge to hold the post.
