KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Former Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil, who was accused of contempt of court over statements regarding the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and SRC International Sdn Bhd cases involving Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has submitted a representation to the Attorney General (AG) to make a public apology to the judiciary.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court of the matter during case management before High Court Judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin today.
“The respondent (Isham, or Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil) submitted the representation to the AG on March 25 via email, and the applicant (prosecutor) needs to obtain directions from the AG regarding the matter.
“The representation is to make an unconditional public apology to the judiciary. Therefore, we request for a new case management date to be set,” said Ahmad Akram, who is handling the case with DPP Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam.
Isham’s lawyer Jamie Wong Siew Min confirmed the matter.
Judge Noorin then set June 10 for case management on the status of the representation.
On March 4, the court granted the AG’s application to initiate committal proceedings against Isham.
On December 28 last year, the AG had filed a motion requesting the court to imprison or impose a fine on Isham.
The grounds of the application were that Isham had insulted the court during a Townhall For Justice interview titled ”Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa?” (Who Is Justice Really For?) broadcast on The Malaya Post’s Facebook page on Sept 30 last year.
The AG claimed that during the interview, Isham questioned the hearings and appeal processes of the SRC International and 1MDB cases involving former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Isham was also accused of questioning the hearing process of the withdrawal application by Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who presided over the 1MDB trial at the High Court here, as well as the appeal process at the Federal Court in the SRC International case.
The AG claimed that Isham’s words had tarnished the judiciary and could undermine public confidence in the judicial institution. — Bernama
