Former Attorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas has cited change in the country’s political leadership as the reason for his resignation.
Speaking to a news portal today, he said his position as AG was a political appointment made by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“My position as AG was that of a political appointee and made by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Once the prime minister tendered his resignation, it was incumbent on me to do so because I was appointed by him. It was also important for me to step aside and allow the incoming prime minister to appoint his own AG,” he was quoted as saying.
Thomas also said his resignation following the change in political leadership was in accordance with the tradition practised in the United Kingdom and other mature democracies.
He said he planned to take a break and expressed gratitude to Dr Mahathir for giving him the opportunity to serve the country.
“I tried my best to do justice and prevent injustice until my last day in office. I am thankful for the privilege to serve,” he said.
Thomas handed his resignation letter to Dr Mahathir on Feb 28.
He was appointed to the post of AG in 2018 after Pakatan Harapan (PH) won the 14th General Election (GE14) and he had served for 21 months. His two-year contract was supposed to end in June.
Thomas’ appointment by Dr Mahathir had taken many by surprise, as it was considered to be a break from convention when appointing a non-Malay and a non-civil servant as AG.
During his career as AG, Thomas had handled trials related to the 1MDB scandal, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
He appointed former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram as well as top criminal lawyer V Sithambaram to help the AGC prosecute high-profile cases.
From the start, Thomas’ position was challenged by Umno, PAS and Malay NGOs who were uncomfortable with his position.