Legal body seeks to reject Malaysian Bar's interference in affairs of A-G

PETALING JAYA: The Association of Judicial and Legal Services Officers (Jalsoa) will debate a motion to reject the Malaysian Bar's interference in the institutional affairs of the Attorney-General at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened soon.  

The body’s executive committee expressed its dissatisfaction with the Bar's plan to debate a motion calling for Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali’s resignation at its annual general meeting this Saturday.  

“The Bar's actions have invited the ire of Jalsoa, which is part of the legislative institution in Malaysia responsible for upholding justice and preserving the rule of law in the country,” the committee said in a statement, Thursday.  

The committee condemned the Bar's move as it appeared to dispute the legislative process and laws enshrined in the Federal Constitution.  

“This can be seen as interfering with the powers and discretion of the A-G, as provided for under Article 145 clause 3 of the Federal Constitution.  

“Jalsoa, which is responsible for the welfare of its members, strongly condemns the Bar's actions,” it added.  

Three lawyers - Charles Hector, Francis Pereira, and Shanmugam Ramasamy - had proposed a motion to debate the call for Apandi’s resignation at this weekend’s AGM.  

Bar president Steven Thiru said on Wednesday that the legal body was seeking a judicial review of Apandi’s recent decisions in regard to the case of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.  

He said the Bar was of the view that the discretionary powers of prosecution held by the A-G were not absolute and can be challenged. 

Thiru said the Bar was seeking to set aside the A-G’s decision to exonerate the Prime Minister of wrongdoing in the RM2.6bil donation controversy and his subsequent instruction for MACC to close its investigation papers on the matter.