Just about a week ago, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leaders denied that they insisted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob intervene in disgraced former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s court case. Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri denied this as well.
But, many don’t believe this to be true, including Malaysian lawyers who have since spoken out about the political party’s lack of consideration for Malaysian law.
Lawyer and activist, Siti Kasim, took to her Twitter page to share a joint statement from the Malaysian Bar, the Advocates Association of Sarawak and the Sabah Law Society, explaining their disapproval over the abovementioned matter, putting the political party in their place.
The statement shared, “It is deeply disturbing that such calls to interfere in the judicial process, or to replace the current Attorney General are made in blatant disregard of the principle of separation of powers and the entrenched democracy of Malaysia.”
“Malaysia is a country that values the separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches, as this provides checks and balances against one another.”
Additionally, they condemned UMNO for not knowing their place in the system.
“This sort of behaviour is tantamount to an attack on the independence of the Judiciary. Politicians should not be making scurrilous remarks that only serve to perpetuate misgivings and suspicion amongst the rakyat towards our Judiciary.”
“The time has come for politicians to understand their roles in perpetuating and strengthening the rule of law, including the doctrine of separation of powers, instead of turning Malaysia into a legal pariah, where the rules of law is not sacrosanct, whenever they utter unjustifiable statements,” they added.
In the end, they urged everyone to respect the separation of powers.
“We must never forget that it is the Courts that we turn to for justice, as they are the last bastion of hope and final line of legal recourse available. The Courts are beholden to no one but the law, and it is the duty of judges to dispense justice in a manner that is in accordance with the law, and not in accordance with the wishes of individuals or political parties.”
“It would be a dark day indeed when the lines between out governing institutions are blurred. The Malaysian Bar, the Advocates Association of Sarawak, and the Sabah Law Society trust that the Prime Minister will do the right thing and not act to the contrary, as that would be an unconscionable abuse of power and a travesty to justice,” they explained.
You can check out the full statement here.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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