Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s argument that a non-Muslim attorney-general (A-G) cannot complete the oath of office with the Quran is not based on law, said the Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today.
The group pointed out that an A-G not only did not need to take an oath using the Quran, the Federal Constitution did not require the appointee to take any oath of office at all.
“As a qualified lawyer, it is astonishing that Nazri Aziz plays fast and loose with the Constitution, which is the founding document of our nation,” LFL’s executive director Latheefa Koya said in a statement today.
Latheefa also accused Nazri of playing up dangerous racist sentiments leading up to this weekend’s Semenyih state seat by-election.
Commenting on the former minister’s claim of representing the Malay voice by insisting the community was aggrieved with the notion of a non-Malay A-G, Latheefa said Nazri was doing the entire ethnicity a disservice.
She said Nazri’s claim is an “outrageous insult” to all Malays.
“While claiming to be Malay champion, Nazri and Umno are in fact slandering the Malays by portraying them as intolerant and racist,” Latheefa said.
She added that it was a “cheap and dangerous” way to score political points in the Semenyih by-election.
Earlier reports:
Feb 26, Taunted to Quit BN, MCA Calls for Nazri’s Sacking Instead
Feb 25, Suhakam Denounces Nazri for “Inciting Racial Hatred”
Feb 25, Cops Quiz Nazri Aziz over ‘Seditious’ Speech
Feb 25, Nazri Playing Race Card, Should be Probed for Sedition