ATTORNEY-GENERAL Tommy Thomas today came out and defended his decision to hire a consultant from his former law firm in the “arrest” of the superyacht Equanimity, saying she has expertise in such matters.

Saying it was solely his decision to bring lawyer Sitpah Selvaratnam on board, Thomas added the lawyer was the leader of the Admiralty Bar, had been involved in numerous arrests of ships and vessels in Malaysian courts and had also opposed arrests in more than 25 years of specialised practice.

“She has been the chairman of the Shipping and Admiralty Law committee of the Bar Council and is the founding president of the International Malaysian Society of Maritime Law,” said Thomas.

“She is, therefore, the obvious choice to advise Chambers and myself on the matter.”

Thomas was responding to Umno Youth, which yesterday questioned the appointment of his former law firm to represent 1Malaysia Development Bhd in its claim over Equanimity, saying the move amounted to a conflict of interest.

The wing’s young lawyers had said the supposed conflict of interest goes against Pakatan Harapan’s pledge that it would arrest the decay of key institutions and restore the sovereignty of law and independence of government agencies.

“So, how can the government appoint a law firm that is owned by someone who holds an important position in the country?” the wing’s young lawyers’ secretariat chairman Nik Saiful Adli Burhan questioned in a statement.

Nik Saiful also said that PH had previously complained about conflicts of interest involving former prime minister Najib Razak.

“(It had said) Najib requested money from Najib, who also approves the funds (in his capacity as finance minister), but now, it appears Pakatan is doing something similar,” he said.

Thomas, however, in his statement today said: “There is no question of conflict of interest because we are all on the same side.

“It is neither right nor sensible for Malaysia to be deprived of the services of Sitpah merely because I was in the firm where she has been a consultant for the past eight years.”

The A-G also said the legal proceedings were brought for the benefit of Malaysia.

“Accordingly, we are entitled to Malaysia’s best shipping lawyers,” Thomas said.

“(The A-G’s) Chambers does not have a specialist shipping unit.

“Accordingly, I decided to turn to the Bar, and chose three of Malaysia’s leading shipping lawyers – Sitpah, Jeremy Joseph and Ong Chee Kwan – to represent the claimants, along with Alice Loke, senior federal counsel.”

He also said that while Joseph and Ong from the solicitors’ law firm Joseph & Partners would be paid normal commercial rates, Sitpah would offer her services for free.

“Her services are rendered to us without any charge to the taxpayer.”

He also said that both Sitpah and Joseph had recently turned down an offer by foreign parties to act for them in this matter.

Thomas added that the decision to appoint Sitpah had been made by him alone as he had trust and confidence in her ability and integrity.

He said the true test of Sitpah’s expertise would come into play if and when businessman Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, who has been linked to the yacht, or any other party applied to set aside the warrant of arrest on the Equanimity vessel.

“The arguments will then be vigorously put forward by all sides when the court hears the matter on its merits, and it is critical that Malaysia has the best barristers.” – August 9, 2018.