Mounting objections to appointing Thomas as A-G, from PAS insisting the A-G must be Muslim to ‘defend’ Islam to Iksim echoing similar sentiments, to Mapim citing Thomas’ lack of fluency in BM.
Pakatan Harapan’s proposal to have Tommy Thomas as the Attorney-General (A-G) is unconstitutional, said Institute of Islamic Strategic Research Malaysia (Iksim) chief executive officer Prof Datuk Mahamad Naser Disa.
He said this was because a non-Muslim could not assist the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) in preserving the sanctity of Islam at all times, and therefore breaches Article 145(2) of the Federal Constitution.
Mahamad Naser said in a statement on Sunday (June 3) that Article 145(2) states that it is the duty of the A-G to advice the King or Cabinet on any legal matter.
“His stand and that of like-minded Muslim lawyers that Malaysia is a secular country clearly infringes on the Constitution that states that Islam is the country’s official religion,” he said.
Mahamad Naser said the A-G’s post should be held by any judge or senior lawyer who is well versed in Islamic and royal matters, not just on principles of law and democracy.
He added that Thomas’s appointment as the A-G could also hamper the government’s efforts to introduce new laws and policies which touch on Islamic matters.
“The people will also be very alarmed if he becomes the new A-G as he once represented Parti Komunis Malaya leader Chin Peng in calling for the government to allow his body to be buried in Sitiawan, Perak,” he added.
He pointed out that in his book written in 2016, Thomas had described Chin Peng as one of the great liberation fighters of the second half of the 20th century and a major contributor to Merdeka.
Mahamad Naser also said that a conflict of interest is also bound to happen should Thomas be the A-G as he (Thomas) is representing Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in his corruption cases.
“The power to proceed or throw away the case is the discretion of the A-G. Thomas’s credibility will be questioned should he side with his former client,” he said. – The Star
Updated: Contrary to what Mahamad Naser said, it has been verified that Thomas is not the lawyer representing Guan Eng in his corruption cases. He is representing the Finance Minister in the contempt proceedings filed by Apandi for comments made by Guan Eng after he was charged.