Isham Jalil awaits July 1 contempt ruling over judiciary remarks on Najib's SRC, 1MDB trials
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Former Umno information chief Isham Jalil will know on July 1 whether he will be held in contempt of court over remarks allegedly undermining public confidence in the judiciary.
High Court judge K. Muniandy fixed the date after hearing submissions in the committal proceedings filed by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), according to New Straits Times.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam argued, 'The respondent has tarnished the judiciary's reputation when he questioned the actions and decision of the Federal Court and the High Court involving both 1MDB and SRC International criminal cases.'
He said Isham's comments posed a real risk of eroding public trust in the justice system.
Isham's lawyer Tan Sri Azizan Harun contended that the statements were not made with the intent to bring the court into disrepute.
Azizan also said the AGC failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that his client's actions amounted to contempt.
He added that the grounds raised during the hearing differed from those stated during the initial application, leaving Isham unclear on how to mount a proper defence.
'The courts must be strong enough to withstand criticism and should not overreact, especially in today's social media era where everyone is free to express their opinions,' Azizan said.
He questioned why Isham could not express views similar to those raised by Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyers during court proceedings.
The AGC filed the application on December 28, 2023, based on Isham's remarks in an interview titled 'Townhall For Justice: Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa? (Who is Justice Really For?)'
The interview, which included criticism of Najib's corruption trial and appeal related to 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd, was posted on the Facebook page of The Malaya Post on September 30, 2023.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
St. Dom's board ends effort to keep Auburn high school open for another year
May 31—AUBURN — Stymied by funding challenges and the cost of education, the board created to save St. Dominic Academy's high school from closure announced Friday evening it was ending its effort to keep the school open for the 2025-26 year. "This is not the end of the story, but it is the end of this chapter, unfortunately," reads a Facebook post made Friday night on the school's account. "(Saint Dominic Regional High School) will not be opening a private Catholic high school for the 2025-2026 school year. "While we had hoped early on that we could have been able to negotiate an affordable lease for the Auburn campus, the Board of Directors has spent significant time reviewing a budget to operate at Holy Family school with Prince of Peace Parish. We determined that the projected fundraising and tuition revenue presents too much of a risk to maintain solvency for the entire year, and we cannot do that to families or our beloved educators." The board was created soon after the Diocese of Portland announced in March that it was closing the high school at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and operating losses going back several years. Members of the board and supporters first tried to work with the diocese to keep the high school campus in Auburn operating for a "bridge year" to allow the board the time to raise the funds and create the operating structure needed to take the school over as a private Catholic high school. When that effort failed, the board explored the possibility of opening the high school at a different location, with the Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston agreeing to potentially accommodate St. Dom's at Holy Family School. "Everyone on the board understands and shares in the hurt and sadness that comes with this decision. The board will be taking the next week off to grieve with, and to be here, for the community. We will be reconvening to determine the next best steps to secure the future of Catholic secondary education and the Auburn campus. For the broader community, please join us in praying for peace for those impacted by the decisions of the last two months," the post read. The high school held graduation for its class of 2025 on May 23. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Long unsolved SC triple homicide case featured on true crime site. How to watch
A triple homicide at a Greer bank unsolved for 21 years this month is getting a new look on True Crime News. The website, a division of Warner Brothers, posted a video depicting the events of May 16, 2004 when Sylvia Holtzclaw, a teller at Blue Ridge Savings Bank; Eb Barnes, a physics professor at the University of South Carolina Upstate and his wife Maggie, who worked for the National Beta Club in Spartanburg were shot to death with a 40-caliber Glock. David Holtzclaw, son of Sylvia, said he is grateful that after so many years the case is still being publicized. 'We will never quit searching for the person or people responsible for this heinous crime!' he said on Facebook. Over the years, law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies thought they were close to solving the case. Some 700 tips were received. The investigation was hampered by little physical evidence. No sign of a struggle. None of the small amount of money the killer got away with was marked. NASA technology was used to identify a car seen on surveillance video going toward the bank and leaving minutes later around the time police received an alert that a bank robbery was in progress. General Motors engineers determined the car was an Oldsmobile Alero, a car used primarily by car rental companies that was made for four years in the late 1990s-early 2000s. A year after the murders, Greer police learned a man had been pulled over in Georgia driving a red Alero that had been stolen from a rental car company at the Columbia airport not long before the murders. The man was Emerson Wright, wanted for arson and robbery by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A Glock was his weapon of choice. He was able to flee. Wright was pulled over again in 2005 but shot himself when officers approached. Chief Matt Hamby, who was one of the first officers on the scene that day, told True Crime News they were never able to interview Wright and they have no other suspects. David Holtzclaw told The Greenville News in 2015 he has used every tactic he can to keep the murders in the public eye, Facebook, YouTube video, a billboard near the now-closed bank. 'Somebody knows,' he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Plans to turn former police station into flats
A former police station that has stood empty for years could be turned into flats. The building on Sunderland Road in Felling, Gateshead, stopped being used as a police station in 1999. Planning documents showed it was later used as a youth probation centre and a school, but had been empty for more than five years. Max Leo Investments has applied to Gateshead Council to turn it into an apartment complex with 15 flats. Planning documents said the project would give "a diverse group of people" the chance to rent an affordable property in the area and bring the building back into use. A previous application was submitted and approved in 2018 to turn the former station into an aparthotel, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Child safety fears over derelict police station 'Dystopian' former police homes to go on sale Gateshead Council
