Special task force, govt's bid to quash Tommy Thomas' suit to be heard June 15

Focus

27 Feb 2023 05:05pm

High Court fixed June 15 to hear the special task force and government's bid to quash former AG Tan Sri Tommy Thomas'S suit over an investigation report on the contents of his memoir "My Story: Justice In the Wilderness".

KUALA LUMPUR - The High Court today fixed June 15 to hear the application of a special task force and the government to quash the suit initiated by former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas regarding an investigation report on the contents of his memoir titled "My Story: Justice In the Wilderness".

Thomas filed the suit naming the special task force’s chairman Datuk Seri Fong Joo Chung, seven other members of the team, as well as the government as defendants.

Besides Fong, the special task force comprises Datuk Seri Panglima Hashim Paijan, Datuk Dr Junaidah Kamaruddin, Datuk Jagjit Singh Bant Singh, Datuk Shaharudin Ali, K. Balaguru, Farah Adura Hamidi and Mohd Najib Surip.

Senior Federal Counsel Nur Irmawatie Daud who is representing all the defendants when contacted said the court also ordered the defence to file written submissions on March 27.

"The plaintiff has also been ordered to file written submissions on April 10 and all the defendants to file counter submissions on May 2, if any," she said after the online case management before Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh today. Lawyer Haikaldin Mahyidin represented Thomas.

Thomas, who was the attorney-general from June 2018 to February 2020, had sought a declaration that the report titled 'Report of the Special Task Force - Investigation into the Allegations in the Book Titled "My Story: Justice In The Wilderness", was an invalid document and against the law.

In the originating summons, he claimed the publication of the report violated Sections 499 and 500 of the Penal Code and/or Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He also sought a declaration that the publication of the report by the government, violated his right to his reputation as protected by Articles 5(1) and 13(1) of the Federal Constitution.

The book written by Thomas which was published in January 2021 courted a lot of controversies, which led to the Cabinet setting up a special task force on Oct 8, 2021, to conduct a study on the revelations contained in the book.

On Oct 13, 2022, the government declassified the special task force's report, which among other things, recommended that Thomas be investigated for possible offences. - BERNAMA