Why question impartiality when you declined to join consultation process, Wan Junaidi asks M'sian Bar

PETALING JAYA: It is baseless and inaccurate for Malaysian Bar president Karen Cheah to question the impartiality of the special task force (STF) to investigate allegations by Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in his book “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (pic).

The caretaker Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Parliament and Law said the Malaysian Bar was also invited to participate in the consultation session to ensure the views of all parties were taken into consideration when preparing the report.

“The Malaysian Bar, however, declined the invitation. As such, casting a negative perception on the impartiality of the STF members is completely baseless.

“The Malaysian Bar ought to have come forward and given their views on the various allegations identified by the STF.

“To refuse participation and then question the impartiality of the STF and its members should not be the Bar's way to confront issues of this kind,” he said in a statement Thursday (Oct 27).

Wan Junaidi also stressed that the methodologies, analysis of issues and stakeholders involved in the consultation sessions alongside those who refused participation have also been listed in the report.

“This clearly shows that the STF had conducted the job in a responsible, transparent and impartial manner,” he said.

He added that STF members had conducted the mandate entrusted to them with full commitment, responsibility and free from any form of intervention.

“All findings obtained were based on the 19 consultations conducted by the STF amongst the various stakeholders.

“The STF had also looked into the various documents that were provided by the relevant agencies,” he said.

On Friday (Oct 21), the special task force report on Thomas' book "My Story: Justice In The Wilderness'' was declassified.

The 241-page report was made public on the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department website late that evening.