Tommy Thomas, our Attorney General resigned, when his appointment by the King was scheduled to end in June 2020?
Now Lateefa Koya allegedly has quit - She was appointed by the King in June 2019 for two(2) years - and will end in June 2021.
Being appointed by the King, they cannot easily be removed save by the King.
If the King prematurely removed any of them acting on the advice of the NEW Prime Minister, it will look bad for the new PM and his 'new coalition;, would it not especially since both of them have been seen to be carrying their function independently without FEAR.
When they submitted their resignation before their term of office ends - the question is WHY? Were they OK with the appointment so long as PH was government?
Well, would that raise questions about their 'independence' - Were they bias in favour of Dr M and the PH government?
Not at all good for public perception that expects the AG, MACC Chief, Police Chief, DG of Immigration, Election Commission to be INDEPENDENT of any Prime Minister or government.
Remember Judges are also appointed by the King, on advice of the Prime Minister...Now, we did not see Judges resigning when PH came into power ...and we are also not seeing Judges resigning after Muhyiddin and gang came into power - That is right. For after appointment, they too are INDEPENDENT and it matters not who the PM of the day is..Likewise AG Tommy Thomas and MACC Chief Lateefa Koya should not have resigned..
The AG and MACC are INDEPENDENT, and it should not have mattered whether Dr M is no more Prime Minister...
And, yes, they will investigate and prosecute anyone including the Prime Minister or any MP who broke the law including the PH leaders or now BN leaders in government - NO one was above the law.
Now, the problem will be who will appoint the new AG and/or MACC Chief - Will it be someone who will not commence any investigation or prosecution against the sitting Prime Minister and/or the leaders of this new coalition 'Perikatan Nasional'?
Who should be choosing? The Prime Minister alone?
Some suggested a Parliamentary Select Committee - but then looking at the number of MPs including past Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister have been charged in court - I would be inclined to say that MPs or any Parliamentary Select Committee may not be best solution - further, since Parliament only sitting in June, will we not have an AG and a MACC Chief until then...
BUT NO - Malaysians also have a serious trust issues with many MPs now - the way and speed they changed their minds when it came to expressing their support for a person the King should appoint as Prime Minister...Even after Mahathir came out with a list of all MPs that support him to be Prime Minister, remember within hours 2 MPs, through video clips, came out stating that they did not support Dr Mahathir .. Many now even no longer see a SD as carrying anymore weight...
Hope Mahathir and PH make police reports about false SDs made ...
There is still a 'question mark' - Does Muhyiddin have the majority support of MPs or is it Mahathir - We hoped that it will be resolved in Parliament, that was supposed to sit next Monday - now that very Parliament sitting has been postponed to June.
Will Mahathir and his supporters come out now that a new PM has been appointed and show that the majority has lost support with Muhyiddin, and that they all support Mahathir -- Few opitions, have I suggested, including a live TV broadcast when these 112 or more come out and say this, etc ..See earlier post:-
Better than MPs or Parliamentary Select Committees making suggestions as to who be appointed as the new AG or MACC Chief, is for us to have an independent appointment committee made up of Independent persons - Chief Justice, Bar President, SUHAKAM Chair, etc...
Now, we just heard we have a new AG - a Judge. Well, is this good.
The problem with recent appointments is the limiting of tenure to two(2) years - it is thus better for younger persons to be appointed, and their tenure ends on their retirement date - no sooner.
Parliament is a natural check and balance to the Judiciary, the AG, the MACC Chief, etc - and they should do this actively..
People will also be a a needed check and balance - and that is why comments, opinions and free speech should not be criminalized by law like the Sedition Act, Criminal Defamation, scandalizing the judiciary contempt, etc..
Will the NEW AG be independent?
- Will we see him exercising his power to 'discontinue proceedings'? I was OK with the former AG discontinuing proceedings against persons allegedly linked to LTTE - but then the should have been Discharged Not Amounting to Acquittal(DNAA) and not acquitted..see earlier posts on this issue..
- Will the special prosecutors be removed or will they also 'resign'? Hopefully not...
The fact that one has been charged and being tried, does not mean that justice will be subverted...Remember the cases of Kasitah Gaddam and Eric Chia - in both cases, prosecution failed to call material witnesses ...end result acquittal.Kasitah Gaddam & Eric Chia - Prosecution's failure to call witnesses - Was it just incompetence OR....?
Latest - the King has accepted Tommy Thomas's resignation, and a new Attorney General have been appointed.
Lateefa Koya's resignation has still not yet been accepted - Maybe, she can be convinced to stay on as MACC Chief until the end of her tenure??
We shall see...hopefully, we do not also see the Election Commission and others appointed by the King also resigning...
Anyway, Tommy Thomas and Lateefa Koya have the right to make their own decision - In my opinion, their premature resignation may be seen to be because Dr.M and Pakatan Harapan is no longer government - and this does not augur well for public perception of the independence of the AG, MACC Chief,...
If they are removed by the King, then it is a totally different matter...
Now, a Federal Court judge has been appointed AG - is he a 'retired' Judge, for if not, then there may be questions about this appointment if he RESIGNED to become AG? That, we will discuss later maybe..
All, my opinions only...
Latheefa Koya resigns after nine months as MACC chief
*The length of Latheefa Koya's tenure has been corrected in the article. We regret the error.*
KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): Malaysia’s first female lead graft-buster
Latheefa Koya has stepped down as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, just nine months after her
appointment by previous prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
She is the second top civil servant to resign after Tan Sri Tommy Thomas quit as attorney-general on Feb 28 following last week’s political upheaval.
Latheefa issued a statement this morning confirming that she had tendered her resignation to newly minted premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on March 2, putting to rest speculation over whether she was stepping down.
During their meeting, she had also briefed him about ongoing efforts and actions for the recovery of 1MDB funds from abroad.
“He was fully supportive of these actions,” Latheefa said in the statement.
According to her, she had resigned to continue practicing as a human rights advocate.
“It was my own decision to do so. Speculation that pressure was brought upon me are baseless,” she said.
Her resignation is now subject to the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Latheefa said throughout this week, she had met with and briefed her deputy Datuk Seri Azam Bai and other department heads in the commission to ensure an orderly handover of duties.
“It is business as usual in the MACC, in the capable hands of my officers. I am leaving my position with the fullest confidence that the MACC will continue to be uncompromising and tireless in the fight against corruption, irrespective of the position or political allegiance of the perpetrators,” she added.
The fiery lawyer’s surprise appointment by Dr Mahathir on June 1 last year was seen as controversial for two main reasons.
Firstly, the former premier had not informed his Cabinet, let alone consulted them, before making his decision.
She is the second top civil servant to resign after Tan Sri Tommy Thomas quit as attorney-general on Feb 28 following last week’s political upheaval.
Latheefa issued a statement this morning confirming that she had tendered her resignation to newly minted premier Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on March 2, putting to rest speculation over whether she was stepping down.
During their meeting, she had also briefed him about ongoing efforts and actions for the recovery of 1MDB funds from abroad.
“He was fully supportive of these actions,” Latheefa said in the statement.
According to her, she had resigned to continue practicing as a human rights advocate.
“It was my own decision to do so. Speculation that pressure was brought upon me are baseless,” she said.
Her resignation is now subject to the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Latheefa said throughout this week, she had met with and briefed her deputy Datuk Seri Azam Bai and other department heads in the commission to ensure an orderly handover of duties.
“It is business as usual in the MACC, in the capable hands of my officers. I am leaving my position with the fullest confidence that the MACC will continue to be uncompromising and tireless in the fight against corruption, irrespective of the position or political allegiance of the perpetrators,” she added.
The fiery lawyer’s surprise appointment by Dr Mahathir on June 1 last year was seen as controversial for two main reasons.
Firstly, the former premier had not informed his Cabinet, let alone consulted them, before making his decision.
Secondly, she was also an active politician who was a senior member
of PKR, a component party of the Pakatan Harapan coalition whose
government collapsed late February.
However, she had tweeted that she had resigned as a PKR member upon her appointment to ensure that she was independent of any political party.
Latheefa is seen as a staunch supporter of former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali — who led 10 MPs to defect from the party, contributing to the coalition government’s fall — given her vocal criticisms of party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
During her brief stint heading the MACC, she oversaw the serving of forfeiture suits to several parties including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his family, associates and Barisan Nasional component parties to recover some RM270 million allegedly originating from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
In a move criticised by some quarters as going against the rule of law, on Jan 8, she also played nine audio clips implicating Najib, former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, ex-attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali and a few others in a cover-up of the 1MDB scandal, describing the subjects of the conversations captured as the “highest level of conspiracy”.
The clips include what is now known as the infamous ‘Darling, can I advise you something!’ quote by someone who sounded like Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor telling off her husband Najib.
However, Latheefa had defended her actions, saying it was vital to ensure that government officials would not engage in criminal activities.
A day before announcing her resignation, she had also ordered the commission to investigate the source of Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s staggering wealth of close to RM800 million.
However, she had tweeted that she had resigned as a PKR member upon her appointment to ensure that she was independent of any political party.
Latheefa is seen as a staunch supporter of former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali — who led 10 MPs to defect from the party, contributing to the coalition government’s fall — given her vocal criticisms of party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
During her brief stint heading the MACC, she oversaw the serving of forfeiture suits to several parties including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his family, associates and Barisan Nasional component parties to recover some RM270 million allegedly originating from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
In a move criticised by some quarters as going against the rule of law, on Jan 8, she also played nine audio clips implicating Najib, former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, ex-attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali and a few others in a cover-up of the 1MDB scandal, describing the subjects of the conversations captured as the “highest level of conspiracy”.
The clips include what is now known as the infamous ‘Darling, can I advise you something!’ quote by someone who sounded like Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor telling off her husband Najib.
However, Latheefa had defended her actions, saying it was vital to ensure that government officials would not engage in criminal activities.
A day before announcing her resignation, she had also ordered the commission to investigate the source of Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s staggering wealth of close to RM800 million.
The former Federal Territories minister
had attributed his fortune to stakes in businesses and shares in
public-listed companies, including the sale of a RM480 million stake in
Mutiara Telecommunications Bhd (now known as Digi.com Bhd). - Edge Market, 6/3/2020
Federal Court Judge Idrus Harun is new AG
Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Idrus Harun is the new Attorney-General, effective March 6.
KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Idrus Harun has been appointed as the new Attorney-General, effective March 6.
The 65-year-old replaces Tan Sri Tommy Thomas who stepped down after a 21-month old stint.
Thomas officially resigned as AG after he handed his resignation letter to Dr Mahathir last Friday (Feb 28) evening.
“It is to be noted that in accordance with Clause (5) of Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, His Majesty the King has consented to the application of Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to shorten his service as the Attorney General effective February 28, 2020.
“The government is grateful to Tan Sri Tommy Thomas for his service to the country during his tenure as Attorney General.
“In accordance with Clause (1) of Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong also approved the appointment of Federal Court judge Tan Sri Idrus Harun as the new Attorney General for a two year period, effective March 6, 2020,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Department. - New Straits Times, 6/3/2020
The 65-year-old replaces Tan Sri Tommy Thomas who stepped down after a 21-month old stint.
Thomas officially resigned as AG after he handed his resignation letter to Dr Mahathir last Friday (Feb 28) evening.
“It is to be noted that in accordance with Clause (5) of Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, His Majesty the King has consented to the application of Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to shorten his service as the Attorney General effective February 28, 2020.
“The government is grateful to Tan Sri Tommy Thomas for his service to the country during his tenure as Attorney General.
“In accordance with Clause (1) of Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong also approved the appointment of Federal Court judge Tan Sri Idrus Harun as the new Attorney General for a two year period, effective March 6, 2020,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Department. - New Straits Times, 6/3/2020
Former A-G: 'I resigned because Tun M resigned'
Former
Attorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas says his resignation following the
change in political leadership was in accordance with the tradition
practised in the United Kingdom and other mature democracies. -
NSTP/File pic
KUALA
LUMPUR: Former Attorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas has cited change in
the country’s political leadership as the reason for his resignation.
Speaking
to a news portal today, he said his position as AG was a political
appointment made by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“When he tendered his resignation, it was incumbent on me to resign my position too.
"It was important for me to step aside to allow the incoming prime minister to appoint his own AG,” he was quoted as saying.
Thomas
also said his resignation following the change in political leadership
was in accordance with the tradition practised in the United Kingdom and
other mature democracies.
He said he planned to take a break and expressed gratitude to Dr Mahathir for giving him the opportunity to serve the country.
“I
tried my best to do justice and prevent injustice until my last day in
office. I am thankful for the privilege to serve,” he said.
Thomas handed his resignation letter to Dr Mahathir on Feb 28.
He
was appointed to the post of AG in 2018 after Pakatan Harapan (PH) won
the 14th General Election (GE14) and he had served for 21 months. His
two-year contract was supposed to end in June. - New Straits Times, 4/3/2020
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