PAS threatens major rally if Tommy Thomas stays as AG
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 ― PAS has today threatened to hold a rally should its demand that Tan Sri Tommy Thomas be removed as Attorney General (AG) is not heeded by Putrajaya.
In a statement, its information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad said the Islamist party has three demands, including for the AG to rescind its decision to drop terror charges against 12 people for alleged links to the now-defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
“If our demands are not fulfilled, we will move for a massive public rally to demand for the cleansing and purifying of the attorney-general institution,” he said.
The third demand had also included for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to limit the alleged ultimate authority of the AG.
However, PH was forced to hold its plan to separate the function of the public prosecutor from the AG post in 2018, as it requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution.
Twelve Malaysians, including two DAP state lawmakers, were charged under Section 130 of the Penal Code with supporting terrorism for their alleged links to the LTTE and have been held at the Sungai Buloh Prison since.
They are Melaka state executive councillor G. Saminathan, Negri Sembilan assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, corporate CEO S. Chandru, V. Balamurugan, S. Teran, A. Kalaimughilan, S. Arivainthan, S. Thanagaraj, M. Pumugan, R. Sundram, V. Suresh Kumar and B. Subramaniam.
Yesterday, Thomas said the decision to drop the case was made under his constitutional discretionary powers after finding insufficient evidence to back its prosecution that would lead to a “realistic prospect of conviction”.
Under the law, they could have been sentenced to jail for life (which is a maximum of 30 years), or a fine and can have any of their properties used in the offence confiscated, if trial had continued and they were convicted.
The Malaysian Bar had yesterday urged the AG to explain why the 12 had been arrested and charged in the first place as they had been detained and refused bail under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, a preventive security law it described as “draconian” and an “affront to natural justice”.
The Bar added that it was disheartening for Malaysians to know they can be arrested, charged and locked up without bail for a prolonged period on charges when the prosecution’s chances of conviction were thin.
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