FORMER president of the Malaysian Bar Council Sulaiman Abdullah, who died yesterday, was a firm believer in the principles of justice and human rights, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said on X that Sulaiman was not only a lawyer to him, but a close friend who was with him and his family during dark and turbulent years.

Anwar said Sulaiman’s thoughts and conscience, which were firmly based on the principles of justice and human rights, cannot be denied by anyone.

“I am very much impacted because when I received the news I was still in Tokyo, Japan, on a working visit, praying for his family to be patient and for the late Sulaiman to be forgiven of all his sins and given a special place by God,” Anwar said.

The prime minister has been in Tokyo since December 15 to attend the Asean-Japan Commemorative Summit and the Asian Zero Emission Community Summit.

Sulaiman, 77, was Malaysian Bar Council president from 2000 to 2001 in addition to being involved in many high-profile cases, including leading the prosecution in the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial involving former prime minister Najib Razak in 2018.

He was also in Anwar’s defence team and represented Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, who challenged the legitimacy of Zambry Abdul Kadir’s appointment as Perak menteri besar in 2009. – Bernama, December 19, 2023.