WITH the impending appointment of a new attorney-general, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) urged the Pakatan Harapan government to transcend party politics in its choice of candidate. 

“We call upon the PH government to recognise that in this transition period, it is critical that public trust in the AG’s post be restored, given the way Apandi Ali and the previous AGs had abused their role,” said Eric Paulsen, executive director of the lawyers group.

Until reforms have been completed, the AG must be a person with full public confidence and independence to carry out his or her role, he said. 

LFL said that there are many prominent former judges and senior lawyers who have remained active either in civil society or in their individual capacities, who are more suitable to be appointed AG as they would not be bound by political affiliations.  

“It is crucial that offenders on either side of the political divide must be taken to task for their wrongdoings, and the new AG must be able to act independently and command public confidence and perception in his or her ability to do so,” Paulsen said. 

He said that the “critical reform” of separating the post of the AG from his responsibilities as the public prosecutor had not been done yet.

”As such, it is critical that the person appointed must be able to carry out his or her duties independently, and by extension, the person cannot be bound by a party position or membership.”

Apandi had been an Umno member for a period. In a previous interview, he said the highest party position he held was that of Umno Youth chief in the Pengkalan Chepa division in Kelantan.

“That he further went on to exonerate Najib Razak from any wrongdoing in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (scandal) merely highlights the danger of appointing those with a party background to the role of AG,” Paulsen added.  

He said LFL had an “excellent working relationship” with many lawyers who are party leaders or elected representatives of PH and qualified for the role of AG.

But, he cautioned, their “party background, however, suggests that they are better suited for the role of law minister”. – May 13, 2018