Planned press conference by AG cancelled after Najib supporters get rowdy

KUALA LUMPUR: A planned press conference by Attorney General Tommy Thomas had to be cancelled when supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak turned rowdy.

They chanted “Bahasa Malaysia” when Thomas spoke in English.

The crowd then shouted “Melayu” and “Hidup Melayu” to drown out Tommy’s voice until he had to be escorted away.

This came after a request was made by Thomas at the Sessions Court here for the trial to be conducted in English when Najib was charged with three charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) on Wednesday (July 4).

Tommy, who is acting as the public prosecutor, made the request to judge Zainal Abidin at the Sessions Court after the charges were read out in Malay.

When taking up the post last month replacing Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, Tommy had been criticised for supposedly having a weak command of Bahasa Malaysia.

Tommy himself has admitted that he had to "brush up" on his command of the national language.

"The trouble is with private practice, which I had for 42 years, dealings with clients, basically commercial clients and documents ... I have neglected my Bahasa. I promise to brush it up," he was quoted as saying.

Najib was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) in his capacity as Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Advisor Emeritus of SRC International, in which he was entrusted with RM4bil.