CONSTITUTIONAL law expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari has proposed setting up a panel of independent lawyers to advise the royalty on issues pertaining to the law and constitution.

This move would help alleviate concerns by the Conference of Rulers regarding the appointment of a non-Muslim attorney-general, he said.

“The issue of an attorney-general threatening Malays and Islam will not arise. I think it’s all nonsense,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“On the issue of Islam, I have brought up in the past that the Conference of Rulers should have independent advisers. Why must they depend on government lawyers, or the attorney-general?

“This is the problem. In my opinion, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Conference of Rulers must take this opportunity to be separated from the government.”

Aziz said the rulers should be able to refer to their own panel of lawyers to get a fair and balanced opinion on legal and constitutional matters.

The Tebing Tinggi state assemblyman was commenting on the impasse between the Malay rulers and the Pakatan Harapan government over Tommy Thomas, a non-Muslim lawyer proposed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to replace Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali.

Under the constitution, the King is to appoint the attorney-general on the advice of the prime minister.

However, the Conference of Rulers disagrees with Dr Mahathir’s choice as Thomas is Christian and non-Malay, and is meeting tomorrow on the matter. – June 4, 2018.