ATTEMPTS to question the impartiality of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat over a supposed Facebook post by her husband seen as critical of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has been rubbished by an opposition leader.
Both former Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) vice-president Datuk Hamidah Osman and Nooryana Najwa, one of Najib’s daughters, cried foul over the 14th General Elections (GE14)-related posting, with Hamidah even lodging a police report on the post today.
Notably, Tengku Maimun is one of the judges presiding over Najib’s final appeal in his SRC International RM42 mil corruption case. If he loses his appeal, Najib will go straight to jail as he has exhausted the appeals processes in the lower courts.
Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) vice-president Lim Wei Jiet pointed out that Tengku Maimun’s husband, Datuk Zamani Ibrahim, has a right to hold a view on the GE14 results just like everyone else.
“He’s not a member of any political party,” Lim added in a tweet today. “What craziness is this?”
Lim, who is also a lawyer by practice, asked why the alleged posting was being made an issue now, pointing out that it was uploaded on Facebook in May 2018.
“If this is an issue, why didn’t Najib request Tengku Maimun to recuse herself from the beginning?” he further asked.
Lim also said, “even if you want to judge”, the posting in full was “balanced” as the author also expressed sadness that his supposed friends in UMNO – Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan – had lost in GE14.
“The point is, almost everyone had views on who should be celebrated and condemned post-GE14. Why should that mean their spouse isn’t impartial?” Lim asked.
“Najib’s fall from the throne”
The since-viral screenshots of the post attributed to Zamani have to do with a personal reflection about the fall of the Najib-led Government leading up to and immediately after GE14.
In the write-up dated May 11, 2018, the author linked the GE14 results to the “rakyat speaking with such fury that it was a complete demolition of Be eND,” poking fun at Barisan Nasional’s BN acronym.
The author also wrote: “Happy because Najib had been dethroned. Sad for the demise of UMNO. Hopeful for the future.”
Earlier today, Hamidah lodged a police report at the Presint 7 police station in Putrajaya over the matter, claiming that the posting “tarnishes the image of the country’s justice system”.
“How can we be confident in the ruling made by Tengku Maimun being completely transparent, fair and uninfluenced by her husband?” she asked in the police report, not citing any case in particular.
“More so when the contents (of the Facebook posting) give the impression that the writer (said to be Tengku Maimun’s husband) is someone who likes to see Najib fall (from power).”
In a later Facebook post, Hamidah also called on Tengku Maimun to recuse herself from hearing Najib’s case – “to protect the integrity of the law” – but similarly did not mention any case.
Meanwhile, Nooryana earlier this afternoon shared a screengrab of the Facebook posting on her Insta Story with this message: “This is why it’s a losing battle. Every single request from Najib’s team has been rejected by the court.
“It’s not justice, it’s politics,” she added.
“Sickening for UMNO to undermine the judiciary”
Meanwhile, Lim said it was “sickening that UMNO is trying to undermine the judiciary”, Tengku Maimun specifically, likely in reference to criticism by senior UMNO leaders over the Federal Court’s recent rejection of Najib’s fresh evidence bid in the SRC International case.
“It (the judiciary) is not perfect, but (it is) one of the final bastions of independent institutions left in Malaysia – and they (UMNO) have no qualms of dragging it down to free a kleptocrat,” he said in another tweet.
He added: “We must stand up. We cannot be silent.”
A five-member Federal Court bench led by Tengku Maimun is currently hearing Najib’s final appeal in the SRC International case, with hearings set for tomorrow (Aug 19), followed by next Tuesday to Friday (Aug 23 to 26, 2022).
The case deals with the alleged misappropriation of funds from SRC International – a former subsidiary company of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) – by Najib. Najib used to be SRC’s adviser emeritus and chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisers.
In July 2020, Najib was found guilty by the High Court of seven charges of power abuse, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in the case. He was also fined RM210 mil and sentenced to 12 years in jail.
Najib appealed the charges and fine at the Court of Appeal. Last December, the appellate court dismissed the appeal and ruled that Najib’s conviction, alongside the jail sentence and fine, should be upheld.
The former finance minister is out on bail pending his final appeal at the apex court. – Aug 18, 2022
Main photo credit: Yahoo
