Anwar not seeking legal immunity, says political secretary

New Straits Times

4 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is seeking legal immunity in a civil suit filed by his former aide, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, are misleading, says his senior political secretary.
Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said that Anwar's application to the Federal Court is a lawful process to seek clarity from the court on his position in carrying out official duties when facing a civil suit based on claims that precede his appointment as prime minister.
"There is no attempt in the application to seek absolute immunity. Rather, the issue raised is whether such civil action could interfere with the efficiency of a prime minister in carrying out the executive functions of the state.
"This is a legitimate and lawful matter to be referred to the Federal Court, the highest judicial institution in the country with the jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution fairly and objectively.
"It is irresponsible to equate this legal application with authoritarianism. In fact, in countries that uphold democracy, the concept of qualified immunity is often discussed to balance the needs of state administration with individual rights," he said in a statement.
Earlier today, The Edge reported that Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has called on the attorney-general to intervene in Anwar's application to have questions of law referred to the apex court — on whether "a sitting PM enjoys a qualified immunity from civil suit", and whether a civil suit would impair the effective discharge of his executive functions and undermine the constitutional separation of powers.
In a statement, LFL director Zaid Malek described the questions posed by Anwar's new lawyers last week, in their application in the ongoing sexual assault civil suit as preposterous.
Shamsul Iskandar said while the prime minister is not above the law, neither should he be subjected to politically motivated legal actions that could disrupt the stability of national governance.
"If the allegations are true, our judicial system functions transparently and independently to hear and decide based on facts and the law—not perception or media pressure.
"I urge all parties to respect the principle of the rule of law and not to misuse legal avenues for the sake of political narratives.
"Let the courts decide. This country has gone through too many episodes of legal manipulation for political gain. All disputes should be resolved through legal channels, not through the manipulation of public emotion," he said.
Between May 23 and May 27, Anwar's new lawyers filed applications to refer constitutional legal questions to the Federal Court and requested a postponement of the civil trial, which had been scheduled for June 16 to 25, he said.
The High Court convened a case management meeting via Zoom on May 28, where the judge ordered both parties to submit immediate legal arguments on the applications.
The hearing for both applications has been fixed for June 3.