KUALA LUMPUR – Aliran is calling for the judiciary to initiate contempt proceedings against those who issued statements or acted to obstruct the administration of justice.
This is in light of recent intimidation and threats against the Federal Court and the chief justice following the final appeal hearing of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s conviction in the SRC International corruption case.
The Penang-based civil society group said in a statement that there should be no double standards even though every aggrieved party is entitled to equal rights in court.
“As it is, the independence and integrity of the judiciary were cast in poor light by the unprofessionalism of Najib’s legal team in the Federal Court recently.
“We are also horrified to learn that there was even a threat to the life of chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who heads the five-member bench hearing the appeal.”
It also cautioned that “certain quarters may construe the deafening silence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on this matter as acquiescence”.
Last Saturday, a 30-year-old man was detained in Puchong at 11.15pm under the Sedition Act to facilitate investigations into threats made on Facebook against Tengku Maimun.
This came after police were urged to investigate a Twitter user who purportedly threatened chief justiceTengku Maimun and her husband Datuk Zamani Ibrahim.
Over the weekend, opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan and the National Patriots Association also condemned the threats made against the judiciary, especially the chief justice, and urged authorities to take strict action.
Tengku Maimun chairs the five-person bench that last week rejected Najib’s bid to adduce new evidence implicating the high court judge who found him guilty in 2020.
The Federal Court also decided against granting Najib an adjournment for his new defence team to prepare for arguments in his final bid to overturn his conviction and sentencing. – The Vibes, August 22, 2022
