Latest news with #MalayRulers
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Stay granted on sexual assault suit against PM
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has granted a stay in the civil suit filed against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2021 by his former research officer Muhammed Yusoff Rawther over allegations of sexual assault. The decision effectively puts the High Court trial on hold, pending the outcome of constitutional issues that are being brought before the Federal Court. The decision, made by a three-member panel yesterday, means the trial will not proceed until the appellate court hears the prime minister's appeal against the High Court's refusal to refer key constitutional questions to the apex court. Case management has been set for Sept 2, during which a hearing date for the appeal will be scheduled. In a statement, Anwar's lead counsel Datuk Seri Rajasegaran S. Krishnan stressed that the prime minister is not seeking immunity from legal action or attempting to avoid trial. 'The prime minister is simply asserting his right to raise constitutional questions of public importance before the trial begins,' he said. Among the questions raised are whether civil suits involving a sitting prime minister's conduct prior to taking office should be subject to safeguards, and whether there should be protection from politically motivated suits aimed at undermining a government – similar to SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) cases. The legal team also questioned whether a filtering mechanism should be in place, similar to those applied to judges or Malay Rulers under Article 183 of the Federal Constitution before such suits are allowed to proceed. 'These are serious and unprecedented questions. If not addressed, any prime minister could be targeted with lawsuits timed for political impact, risking the stability of the executive,' the statement added. The stay allows the appellate courts to consider the constitutional implications before the trial resumes. 'The prime minister has nothing to hide and is ready to respond to all claims through a process that respects the constitution and the balance of powers it upholds,' said Rajasegaran. The civil suit against Anwar was filed by Yusoff who alleged that he was sexually harassed by Anwar in 2018. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, claims the incident took place at Anwar's private office. Anwar has strongly denied the allegation, calling it baseless and politically motivated. The High Court had previously fixed the trial to begin in June this year. Anwar had sought the apex court to rule whether Articles 5, 8, 39, 40 and 43 of the Federal Constitution grant him qualified immunity from Yusoff's suit. Anwar had asked the court to decide whether Yusoff's suit would impair the effective discharge of his executive duties and undermine the constitutional separation of powers. He had also requested the court to consider whether the lawsuit impacts his ability to carry out executive duties and undermines the principle of separation of powers guaranteed by the constitution.
The Star
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
PM confident he commands Dewan Rakyat support
United front: Anwar flanked by Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (left) and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof as they arrive for Anwar's meeting with the Prime Minister's Department staff in Putrajaya. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star PUTRAJAYA: The Prime Minister has challenged the Opposition, who he said has been politicising issues, to bring on the vote of no confidence if they intend to bring him down. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he has instructed Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to allow the motion of vote of no-confidence if it is raised in Parliament. The Dewan Rakyat meeting began yesterday. 'There are those who say Anwar must step down. There are those who want to rally (to make me step down). 'The police gave a report and I said do not block the roads. When asked what is the priority of the rally, organisers said the government must be changed and they do not want to wait for the general elections. I said it's okay. 'I told the Speaker that if there is a motion of no-confidence vote, bring it on. On this first day of Parliament, I (will) wait for the motion of no-confidence vote,' he said yesterday. 'But they (the Opposition) know they cannot (bring the motion), as I have the support of two-thirds majority (of the Dewan Rakyat). They are pushing to topple the government. We will be firm if it goes against the constitution and laws,' added Anwar. He said the current government's efforts and work will be in vain if chaos reigns and the country is not deemed safe. The Opposition is planning a rally themed 'Himpunan Turun Anwar' on Saturday, which the Home Ministry has said it will facilitate, with 2,000 police on the ground. Anwar also called out those who criticised him over the delay in the appointment of the Chief Justice. He described the 'chaos' before the appointment as unnecessary, explaining that he was waiting for the endorsement of the Malay Rulers. 'With rallies and attacks against me, the issue was politicised for a week. How could I have answered (who the Chief Justice would be)? 'I had to follow the Federal Constitution. I have said that there is a process. They wanted a guarantee that such and such a person would not be appointed. I could not be ahead of the Malay Rulers before it is endorsed by the King,' he said. 'We did not change the name at the last minute. The name that was given from the start was the name agreed upon by the Malay Rulers. 'Even the judiciary was politicised in the chaos. Now, all is quiet. Where are those who have heaped attacks on me?' He was referring to concerns raised by the Bar Council and the opposition over the delay in naming the new Chief Justice following the retirement of Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on July 1. On July 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, approved the appointments of three top judicial figures, including Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice of the Federal Court.
The Sun
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Court halts sexual assault suit against PM Anwar Ibrahim
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has granted a stay in the civil suit filed against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2021 by his former research officer, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther over allegations of sexual assault. The decision effectively puts the High Court trial on hold, pending the outcome of constitutional issues that are being brought before the Federal Court. The decision, made by a three-member panel today, means the trial will not proceed until the appellate court hears the Prime Minister's appeal against the High Court's refusal to refer key constitutional questions to the apex court. Case management has been set for Sept 2, during which a hearing date for the appeal will be scheduled. In a statement, Anwar's lead counsel Datuk Seri Rajasegaran S Krishnan stressed that the Prime Minister is not seeking immunity from legal action or attempting to avoid trial. 'The Prime Minister is simply asserting his right to raise constitutional questions of public importance before the trial begins,' he said. Among the questions raised are whether civil suits involving a sitting prime minister's conduct prior to taking office should be subject to safeguards and whether there should be protection from politically motivated suits aimed at undermining a government—similar to SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) cases. The legal team also questioned whether a filtering mechanism should be in place—similar to those applied to judges or Malay Rulers under Article 183 of the Federal Constitution—before such suits are allowed to proceed. 'These are serious and unprecedented questions. If not addressed, any Prime Minister could be targeted with lawsuits timed for political impact, risking the stability of the executive,' the statement added. The stay allows the appellate courts to consider the constitutional implications before the trial resumes. 'The prime minister has nothing to hide and is ready to respond to all claim through a process that respects the Constitution and the balance of powers it upholds,' said Rajasegaran. halting the sexual assault suit filed against him in 2021 by former research officer Muhammed Yusoff Rawther. The civil suit against Anwar was filed by his former research assistant, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther who alleged that he was sexually harassed by Anwar in 2018. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, claims the incident took place at Anwar's private office. Anwar has strongly denied the allegation, calling it baseless and politically motivated. The High Court had previously fixed the trial to begin in June this year. Anwar had sought the apex court to rule whether Articles 5,8,39,40 and 43 of the Federal Constitution grant him qualified immunity from Yusoff's suit. Anwar had asked the court to decide whether Yusoff's suit would impair the effective discharge of his executive duties and undermine the constitutional separation of powers. He had also requested the court to consider whether the lawsuit impacts his ability to carry out executive duties and undermines the principle of separation of powers guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Star
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Wan Ahmad Farid was sole candidate for Chief Justice, no last minute changes made, says Anwar
PUTRAJAYA: The only name ever presented to the Conference of Malay Rulers for the Chief Justice's position was Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said the chaos caused by the opposition and other parties before the judicial appointment to the top post was unnecessary. He clarified that he was simply awaiting the consent of the Malay Rulers. Anwar said this during the Prime Minister's Department's monthly assembly here at the Dewan Da' Seri Endon Puspanitapuri on Monday (July 21). "With rallies and attacks against me, the issue was politicised for a week. How could I have answered (who the Chief Justice would be)? I had to follow the Federal Constitution and I stated that there is a process. They wanted the guarantee that such and such a person would not be appointed. I could not be ahead of the Malay Ruler before it is endorsed by the King. "We have not changed the name at the last minute. The name that was given from the start was the name agreed by the Malay Rulers. "Even the judiciary was politicised in the chaos. Now, all is quiet. Where are those who have heaped attacks on me?" asked Anwar. He was referring to concerns raised by the Bar Council and opposition parties over the delay in the replacement of the Chief Justice post following the mandatory retirement of Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on July 2. On July 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, approved the appointments of three top judicial figures, including Court of Appeal judge Wan Ahmad Farid as the new Chief Justice of the Federal Court. The appointments were made in accordance with Clause (1) of Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, following the advice of the Prime Minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers, said the Office of the Federal Court Chief Registrar in a statement. Also appointed are Federal Court judges Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as the President of the Court of Appeal and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, replacing the outgoing Chief Judge who is set to retire. The official swearing-in and presentation of the appointment letters will take place on July 28 at Istana Negara, before the King.
The Star
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
More song and dance around Najib's house arrest
Enabling Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest will appease Umno members but will further damage the credibility of Pakatan Harapan leaders. SOME said it would be a secret meeting but how can it be a secret when the attendance list comprised so many division leaders of Umno? As things turned out, a total of 160 Umno division chiefs gathered at the Royale Chulan hotel in Selangor in a show of support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak's bid to be allowed to serve the rest of his corruption conviction under house arrest. It was less a secret meeting than a meeting about a sensitive issue. It seems like Umno is done with tip-toeing around the addendum issue and there was a no-holds-barred air to the evening with the key speaker, Wangsa Maju chief Datuk Seri Shafei Abdullah lashing out at Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh who was the attorney general at the time the addendum was drawn up. The addendum issue has hovered over Umno like a dark cloud. Umno is a royalist party and its members do not understand why the government has not adhered to the addendum which it considers to be a 'titah Tuanku' or royal decree by the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This has been a rather unfortunate year for Terrirudin who has been making news for all the wrong reasons. He is the target of commentary among the Umno crowd and was a subject of some rather nasty speculation in connection to the judicial appointments. In Chinese fengshui, it would be deemed one of those years when one is 'sitting atop the head of the Grand Duke' and which translates as an unlucky year. The Umno crowd that evening claimed the addendum was concealed for more than a year. 'First, they denied its existence, we were told it was hearsay. Now they say there is an addendum but it did not observe the proper process. 'Of course, we are frustrated. Our members are asking why we cannot do anything although we are in the government,' said Ketereh division chief Datuk Seri Alwi Che Ahmad. Some of those at the gathering even want Najib to be allowed house arrest before the Sabah election so that he can help 'campaign' for the party from his home. Shafei, who was Najib's former political secretary, concluded by urging Umno divisions which are currently having their annual general meetings, to pass resolutions to defend the Malay Rulers and to urge the government to implement the addendum. Pakatan Harapan leaders have gone back on many of the promises they made before coming to power, but backtracking on Najib's conviction could be the proverbial nail in the coffin. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is struggling against public opinion over many of his policies and he cannot afford to cave in over Najib and the 1MDB scandal. Whatever support that Pakatan has will wither away the day Najib returns home on house arrest. Despite the aggressive tone of the Umno gathering, many of them are doubtful that Najib's bid for house arrest will ever see the light of day. So why are they making such a song and dance about it? Najib, according to an aide to a Johor leader, has become some sort of an Achilles Heel to Umno. 'The Umno general assembly will take place in a few months time and the leadership cannot be seen to be sitting on their hands,' said the aide. Umno deputy president and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who has been swamped by invitations to officiate at Umno division meetings, admits that queries about Najib's fate and the party's cooperation with DAP are among the common concerns. 'These are concerns that have not subsided after more than two years in the unity government. But my key message is that we need to be united as a party because people out there will not support a party that is divided,' said Mohamad. The Prime Minister has been strategic in responding to Umno's demands on the royal addendum. He said he is ready to meet with Umno, to talk and to clarify. 'He is a seasoned politician, he can sense the veiled threats behind their demands. What was said at the hotel gathering has been as fierce as some of the speeches we get at Umno general assemblies,' said the above aide to a Johor leader. Can Anwar also sense Umno's ambitions for the premiership in time to come? It is no secret that the inner circle of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi thinks he should get a shot at it. Ahmad Zahid is very strong in Umno. Few dare to criticise him and an outspoken party official from Johor had a taste of his president's wrath when Ahmad Zahid openly blasted at him during a division AGM. It has been suggested that all those division chiefs would not have gathered at Royale Chulan without their president's blessing. Ahmad Zahid was in New Zealand and the insider joke is that he brought along his 'loudspeaker,' that is, Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh so that the hotel gathering would not get too heated up given Akmal's talent for controversy. Only division chiefs without government posts attended. Ministers and deputy ministers as well as those with positions at state level were visibly absent. This was to avoid a situation of government leaders railing against the government. In that sense, the Royale Chulan affair was like one of those Malay silat moves, where you cannot see where the real blow is coming from. How sincere are Umno leaders about the addendum issue? Are they merely going through the motions to appease their grassroots and assuage the Najib family? Is Umno riding on Najib the way DAP exploited Teoh Beng Hock's death for political capital? Do Umno leaders, especially Ahmad Zahid, really want Najib back home where he could be an alternative centre of gravity in the party? 'Umno members are realistic. They do not want Najib back as their leader. They see him as someone who can play a balancing role and say things their leaders cannot,' said the above Johor aide. The Prime Minister needs Umno on his side but he does not need Najib. The addendum issue resembles a political tug-of-war between two partners of the same government. There is no winner in this sort of situation. > The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own
