Friday, April 01, 2016

Malaysian lawyers questioned by police over call for Attorney-General's resignation (CHANNEL NEWSASIA)

* There is a video attached to this media report which you may want to view

Malaysian lawyers questioned by police over call for Attorney-General's resignation

The three lawyers were questioned as part of a sedition investigation for calling on Attorney-General Apandi Ali to resign after closing corruption investigations into Prime Minister Najib Razak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian lawyers were up in arms after three members of the Bar were questioned by police on Thursday (Mar 31) for calling on Attorney-General Apandi Ali to resign after closing corruption investigations into Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Charles Hector, Francis Pereira and R Shanmugam put forth a motion calling for the AG's resignation at the Malaysian Bar's closed-door annual general meeting on Mar 19.

They believe there was a conflict of interest when the AG - appointed to replace the abruptly dismissed Gani Patail - ordered the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to close investigations into Mr Najib over the almost US$700 million in his personal bank accounts.

The AG had also directed the MACC to close its probe into SRC International, a former subsidiary of state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), also advised by Mr Najib.

More than 700 lawyers voted in favour the motion, resolving that the AG should step down "for the good of Malaysia, to restore public confidence and perception of the rule of law, in particular the administration of criminal justice in Malaysia".

On Thursday, the three lawyers who tabled the motion, and the secretary of the Malaysian Bar Karen Cheah, were questioned as part of a sedition investigation.

"We are still committed to upholding the course of justice without fear or favour. No amount of harassment or intimidation of this kind will actually stop us," Mr Hector told the media after questioning.

Former Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan said it was unprecedented for authorities to open investigations into a motion made by a body such as the Bar - which all lawyers in Malaysia are a part of.

"They think they can literally barge into our territory and tell us what to do," she said. "I think that's a dangerous precedent because whether it's a statutory body (like the Bar) or an ordinary society or organisation - to try and tell people that they cannot move a motion in their own general meeting, which is closed-door by the way, is a very dangerous precedent."
See related posts:- 

Undeterred by sedition probe, lawyers vow to fight on (Malay Mail)

Use of draconian Sedition Act against movers of Bar Motion after Resolution adopted is wrong? 

Lawyers who proposed action against Apandi to be investigated for sedition (Star, 29/3/2016)

Cops probing lawyers over Malaysian Bar motion calling for AG’s resignation (Malay Mail)

Bar:- PDRM Must Respect the Statutory Duties of the Bar Council and the Statutory Rights of Members of the Malaysian Bar

ICJ - Malaysia: Sedition investigation against Malaysian Bar members constitutes inappropriate interference

The final Resolution can be views in the following post

Malaysian Bar calls on Mohamed Apandi Ali to immediately resign as Attorney General, for the good of Malaysia..

 

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