THERE was nothing wrong with Chief Justice Richard Malanjum, Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and Law Minister Liew Vui Keong dancing with other guests attending the Legal Year gala dinner on Friday night, said de facto Deputy Law Minister Hanipa Maidin. 

He said such an event does not, in any circumstances, compromise the participants’ professionalism.

“I have never joined such an event. But, at the same time, I have never seen it as a major problem. 

“But people have every right to criticise it. This is called, in democracy, a freedom of speech. In a new Malaysia, such freedom has fortunately blossomed,” he said in a statement today.

Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki had criticised Malanjum for dancing with Thomas and “pro-Pakatan Harapan” lawyers such as former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan and prominent activist Siti Kasim.

“Truth be told, I am really puzzled when some elements of our multi-racial society have made a fuss about the gala dinner and a dance in Kota Kinabalu,” Hanipa said. 

“As far as I know, the legal fraternity has been consistently organising the dinner and dance almost every year. That has been part of its rich traditions.”

Meanwhile, the viral video may give rise to a bad perception of judicial independence, said lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who said in a statement last night that the dance “should not have happened”.

He said the social interaction between Malanjum, Thomas and Liew could create the perception that separation of powers between the judiciary, the attorney-general, and the executive had been compromised.

“This is to avoid any risk, which can cause the judiciary and the (attorney-general) to fail to protect the rule of law and separation of powers,” Haniff said in a statement last night.

Haniff had previously criticised former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali for dancing with Barisan Nasional ministers during Merdeka Day celebrations in 2016.

Eric Paulsen, the Malaysian representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, defended the dance. 

“This was an official gala dinner event involving the legal fraternity. They are expected to chat and mingle, or dance if they want to. If there’s anything to fault, it’s the poor choice of music,” Paulsen tweeted. – January 20, 2019.