Latest news with #abuseofpower
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Najib's case showed PM not immune to civil action, says Takiyuddin
Takiyuddin Hassan said the Federal Court's decision in 2019 that the prime minister is a 'public officer' and can be sued for abuse of power set an important precedent. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's application to the Federal Court to rule whether he has immunity from a civil suit invites direct comparison with a case concerning former prime minister Najib Razak, says Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan. In a statement today, Takiyuddin pointed out that Najib had sought immunity from a civil suit filed against him by then DAP MP Tony Pua over allegations of abuse of power in the 1MDB controversy. Takiyuddin, a lawyer, noted that the Federal Court had decided on Nov 19, 2019 that the prime minister is a 'public officer' and can be sued for abuse of power. 'This case (involving Najib) set an important precedent that a prime minister is not immune to civil or tort action if it relates to the public abuse of power. 'In other words, no citizen, including the prime minister, should be above the law, and no position can be used as a legal shield against actions taken on a personal basis,' he said. Anwar is asking the High Court to refer eight questions of law to the Federal Court for determination, including whether he has immunity from a civil suit brought against him by a former research assistant. He said he wants the apex court to rule whether Articles 39, 40 and 43 of the Federal Constitution grant him qualified immunity from a suit filed by Yusoff Rawther four years ago. The suit relates to events which allegedly took place prior to Anwar taking office on Nov 24, 2022. In the application filed by Messrs Zain Megat & Murad, Anwar asked the court to decide whether the suit would impair the effective discharge of his executive duties and undermine the constitutional separation of powers.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Former Mauritanian president jailed for 15 years
The former president led the country for a decade after coming to power in a 2008 coup. (EPA Images pic) NOUAKCHOTT : Mauritania's former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday on corruption charges following an appeal to a Nouakchott court by both the state and Aziz's defence against a sentence imposed in 2023. Abdel Aziz led the West African country for a decade after coming to power in a 2008 coup, followed by an election a year later. He was an ally of Western powers fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Abdel Aziz, who has denied corruption allegations, was found guilty of economic crimes and abuse of power. He was initially handed a five-year prison sentence in Dec 2023 before the state appealed against the leniency of that punishment and Aziz's team appealed the ruling, saying only a high court of justice was qualified to try a former president. 'It is a decision that reflects the pressure the executive branch exerts on the judiciary,' defence lawyer Mohameden Ichidou told Reuters, adding that the defence would appeal against the decision to the Supreme Court. Brahim Ebety, one of the plaintiff lawyers for the Mauritanian state, welcomed the ruling. 'All the evidence has established that the former president, who single-handedly ruled the entire country, is the perpetrator of illicit enrichment, abuse of power, and money laundering,' he said. Abdel Aziz was elected on a five-year mandate in 2009 and for a second term in 2014. An election in 2019 led to a peaceful transfer of power to Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, initially an ally of Abdel Aziz, but whose parliament later brought charges against him.
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Civil servant pleads not guilty to abuse of power
Rosdi Pilus is accused of processing a RM19,000 payment voucher and approving payment of RM5,000. (Facebook pic) SEREMBAN : A senior officer from the Negeri Sembilan youth and sports department pleaded not guilty in the sessions court today to two charges of abusing his position to secure government contracts for a company owned by his wife. Rosdi Pilus, 50, who holds the position of grade S44 officer, entered the plea before judge Darmafikri Abu Adam. Rosdi was accused of processing a payment voucher worth RM19,000 for accommodation and refreshments related to a packaging design and product labelling technology course in 2021. The contract was allegedly awarded to MAAR Diversified Enterprise, a company owned by his 51-year-old wife. He also faces a second charge of approving a RM5,000 payment to the same company for services provided during the 2022 National Sports Day programme at the state level. The offences were allegedly committed at the department's office on Nov 18, 2021 and Feb 23, 2022, respectively. Rosdi was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction. MACC prosecuting officer Zainab Yahaya asked the court to set bail at RM15,000 for both charges. However, Rosdi's lawyer, Wajih Zakwan Hanif, appealed for a lower amount, citing financial constraints and arguing that his client was not a flight risk and had fully cooperated with MACC investigators. Judge Darmafikri set bail at RM5,000 with one surety and fixed July 7 for case mention.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Now Anwar understands why BN did it, Umno Youth chief says of past political appointments
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has defended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's remarks that political appointments by a government do not constitute abuse of power. In a Facebook post, Muhamad Akmal also thanked the Tambun MP for what he described as finally understanding the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's previous actions. 'Alhamdulillah. Thank you, Prime Minister, for finally understanding what the BN government did in the past,' he wrote, as reported by Utusan Malaysia. Anwar, during his winding-up speech at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) National Congress in Johor Bahru yesterday, said governments should be allowed to appoint qualified individuals, and such appointments were not a form of power abuse. 'We should give positions to those who are qualified, as a reward for their decades of service and contribution to the party's struggle,' he said. He also shared that many individuals had sacrificed their careers and savings to support the party without expecting anything in return. 'I remember a man named Pak Kudus in Tanjung Karang. He was one of the earliest to support me after I was sacked, living only on a pension of RM1,800 a month,' Anwar said. 'There were academic lecturers and medical specialists who lost their jobs and spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit, yet never asked for anything in return and lived the rest of their lives modestly,' he added.
Malay Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Now Anwar understands why BN did it, Umno Youth chief says of past political appointments
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has defended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's remarks that political appointments by a government do not constitute abuse of power. In a Facebook post, Muhamad Akmal also thanked the Tambun MP for what he described as finally understanding the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's previous actions. 'Alhamdulillah. Thank you, Prime Minister, for finally understanding what the BN government did in the past,' he wrote, as reported by Utusan Malaysia. Anwar, during his winding-up speech at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) National Congress in Johor Bahru yesterday, said governments should be allowed to appoint qualified individuals, and such appointments were not a form of power abuse. 'We should give positions to those who are qualified, as a reward for their decades of service and contribution to the party's struggle,' he said. He also shared that many individuals had sacrificed their careers and savings to support the party without expecting anything in return. 'I remember a man named Pak Kudus in Tanjung Karang. He was one of the earliest to support me after I was sacked, living only on a pension of RM1,800 a month,' Anwar said. 'There were academic lecturers and medical specialists who lost their jobs and spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit, yet never asked for anything in return and lived the rest of their lives modestly,' he added.
