Quit now: Lawyers group to AG, CJ and Court of Appeal president

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers for Liberty has called for Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Apandi Ali, Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Md Raus Sharif, and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin to step down immediately from their respective roles.
Its executive director, Eric Paulsen, said their current positions are untenable, with the AG a political appointee serving at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the recommendation of the prime minister, while the re-appointments of Raus and Zulkefli were flagrantly unconstitutional.
"Their continued insistence in staying in their positions can impede the important reforms planned by the Pakatan Harapan government," he said in a statement.
The scandalous circumstances surrounding Apandi's appointment to become AG in the wake of his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's removal are shocking as allegedly Gani was about to file 1MDB-related criminal charges against then Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Paulsen said when Apandi was appointed as AG he chose to clear Najib of all wrongdoings concerning 1MDB.
"Apandi clearly does not command the confidence of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has directed him to go on leave."
The re-appointments of Raus and Zulkefli to their respective posts are equally shrouded in controversy, having been ushered in through the back door as "additional judges" after they reached their mandatory retirement age, he added.
Lawyers for Liberty reminded that the re-appointments of Raus and Zulkefli are the subject of constitutional challenges by the Malaysian Bar and the Advocates Association of Sarawak, and have further been roundly criticised by civil society and the aforesaid legal bodies and the Sabah Law Society.
In addition, Pakatan Harapan leaders have previously submitted a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in August 2017 seeking his intervention to stop their unconstitutional re-appointments.