Latest news with #HaniffKhatriAbdulla


Malaysiakini
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Lawsuit seeks to declare BM version of Constitution as authoritative text
Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla has filed a lawsuit seeking a court declaration that the Malay version of the Federal Constitution is the authoritative text that should prevail over the English version if there is any inconsistency. He cited Article 160B of the Constitution stating that where the Constitution has been translated into Bahasa Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may prescribe it to be the authoritative text.


Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Lawyer wants BM version of constitution declared as authoritative text
The suit filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court names the government as the defendant. PETALING JAYA : A lawyer has filed a suit against the government in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, seeking a declaration that the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Federal Constitution is the authoritative text. Haniff Khatri Abdulla said he filed the writ of summons and statement of claim through the law firm Ahmad Fuad Abi & Aidil. The suit names the government as the defendant and is aimed at getting the High Court to declare that the Bahasa Malaysia version of the constitution should take precedence over the English version. 'This suit is based on Article 160B of the Federal Constitution, which provides that if and when the constitution has been translated into the national language, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may prescribe the national language text as the authoritative text. 'After that, if there is any conflict or inconsistency between the national language and English text, then the national language text shall prevail,' he said. Although the Agong had launched the BM version of the constitution on Sept 29, 2003, Haniff said, the government has yet to make it the authoritative version. 'Even more than two decades later, the government continues to fail, refuse and/or neglect to enforce the position of the text in the national language as the authoritative version,' he said. He claimed this was a breach of the government's constitutional duty to ensure that it took the necessary steps to uphold and dignify the national language. 'It is highly unreasonable that a sovereign and independent nation like Malaysia still does not have an authoritative constitutional text in its own national language, more than six decades after achieving independence,' he said. In 2023, then attorney-general Idrus Harun said the Attorney-General's Chambers planned to suggest that the government make the Bahasa Malaysia version of the constitution the authoritative text. However, he said, this was subject to the approval of the king. This proposal was met with opposition from an interfaith council, which said relying on the Bahasa Malaysia text would have an effect on the Federal Court ruling on unilateral conversion. An MP also said such a move must first obtain Sabah and Sarawak's approval.


Malaysiakini
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Lawsuit seeks to declare BM version of Constitution as authoritative text
Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla has filed a lawsuit seeking a court declaration that the Malay version of the Federal Constitution is the authoritative text that should prevail over the English version if there is any inconsistency. He cited Article 160B of the Constitution stating that where the Constitution has been translated into Bahasa Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may prescribe it to be the authoritative text.


Free Malaysia Today
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Court sets Aug 20 to hear Peter Anthony's bid for review
Former Sabah infrastructure development minister Peter Anthony was sentenced to three years in jail and fined RM50,000 for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (Bernama pic) PUTRAJAYA : The Court of Appeal today fixed Aug 20 to hear an application by former Sabah infrastructure development minister Peter Anthony to review a previous Court of Appeal decision upholding his conviction and sentence. Peter was sentenced to three years in prison and fined RM50,000 for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). A three-member panel led by Justice Azman Abdullah set the date after determining that the court should examine the earlier panel's full written grounds of judgment affirming the conviction. 'Having considered the submissions and affidavits filed, we note that the arguments touch upon the broad grounds previously provided. Therefore, we find it necessary to review the full written judgment,' said Azman, who sat with Justices Lim Chong Fong and Lim Hock Leng. Peter's counsel, Haniff Khatri Abdulla, had requested a new date, saying his client served as the assemblyman for Melalap. He submitted that Peter might be affected by the impending dissolution of the Sabah state legislative assembly, which is expected to occur in September. Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin did not object to the request for a new date. On March 14, Peter filed a notice of motion seeking to review and set aside the conviction and sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal on March 4. He also applied to quash the warrant of committal issued to Kajang prison and sought any consequential orders necessary to ensure that justice is served in the matter. On March 4, the Court of Appeal ordered Peter to serve a three-year prison sentence after dismissing his final appeal against the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court in May 2022. On April 18, 2023, the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld the conviction and sentence imposed by the sessions court. Peter subsequently filed an appeal on April 19, 2023, seeking to set aside the decision. He has since paid the RM50,000 fine imposed by the court. Peter was charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a fine upon conviction. He was accused, in his capacity as managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, of falsifying a letter from UMS's office of the deputy vice-chancellor dated June 9, 2014, by inserting false statements with the intent to deceive. The offence was allegedly committed at the office of the principal private secretary to the prime minister, Perdana Putra Building, Putrajaya, between June 13 and Aug 21, 2014.


Malaysiakini
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Be fair, don't 'stigmatise' Najib's DNAA: veteran lawyer
A lawyer has urged the public not to "stigmatise" the discharge not amounting an acquittal (DNAA) granted to Najib Abdul Razak, asserting that the legal decision is in the interest of ensuring fairness to all parties concerned. Haniff Khatri Abdulla asserted that the documents needed by the prosecution to make its case against the former prime minister were currently being used in separate court proceedings. As such, he argued that the prosecutors for this case - concerning three money laundering charges against Najib involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd - would likely have been...