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Call on Attorney-General to undertake double review of his handling of the Anwar Ibrahim cases to withdraw objection to the bail application and to withdraw from representing former IGP Rahim Noor in the civil suit for compensation  for the “black eye” outrage


Media Statement
b
y Lim Kit Siang

(Petaling JayaTuesday): The Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail should undertake a double review of his handling of the Anwar Ibrahim cases to withdraw objection to the former deputy prime minister’s bail application pending appeal of his sodomy conviction and sentence as well as to withdraw from representing the former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor in Anwar’s civil suit for compensation for the “black eye” outrage.

Last Friday, in a move to strengthen objection to Anwar’s bail application, deputy public prosecutor Tun Majid Tun Hamzah filed  a sworn affidavit-in-reply which  said: "As no one can predict what happens in the future, the probability of the applicant (Anwar) committing any offence or breach the laws, if he is freed on bail cannot be guaranteed at this point of time." 

This is a most shocking position for the Attorney-General’s Chambers to take as it offends public sensitivity and sensibility as well as all notions of justice and fair play. 

As the offence for which Anwar is  convicted and which he is appealing is sodomy, is  the Attorney-General’s Chambers suggesting that if Anwar is released out on bail pending appeal, he is likely to sodomise others?  Or is it suggesting that Anwar could commit other offences apart from sodomy? 

Yesterday, Anwar filed an application at the High Court to disallow the Attorney-General’s Chambers from representing former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor in Anwar’s suit against him over the “black eye” outrage while in custody. 

The reasons cited included the fact that the Attorney-General Chambers had charged Abdul Rahim for a criminal offence at the Sessions Court. 

As the decision for the Attorney-General’s Chambers to represent the former IGP in Anwar’s civil suit against him was made by the previous Attorney-General, Abdul Gani as the new  Attorney-General should  review the policy implications and public interest issues involved and withdraw from such  representation to avoid conflict of interest and the undermining of  public confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

(15/7/2003)


* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman