Bar Ragunath from the Bar!
Din Merican
On November 24, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) exposed the Haj pilgrimage scandal involving Attorney-General (AG) Gani Patail and the former Malaysia Airlines Chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie.
And after doing all these evil deeds, they purport to repent and put on a public show of visiting God’s house in Mecca to seek forgiveness.
ACT 1: Enter Robert Phang
On November 30, Tan Sri Robert Phang Miow Sin, a member of the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) gave a press conference demanding AG Gani Patail to explain his conduct as exposed by RPK. Phang also accused AG Gani of selective prosecution and mentioned several cases including that of Lawyer Rosli Dahlan.
The alternative media has created the perception that Rosli has been victimised as a result of his professional role in pursuing civil and criminal action against former Malaysia Airlines chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.
Phang said that Rosli had been victimised because he pursued civil and criminal actions against Tajudin Ramli. MACC’s apparent reluctance to take any action against Tajuddin and Shahidan raised a lot of suspicions, especially since report by the MD of MASKargo, Shahari Sulaiman, specifically mentioned Shahidan Shafie as Tajuddin’s proxy who orchestrated the police closure of the MAS case. Shahidan has his wheeling dealing tentacles everywhere in the law enforcement agencies. He is Mr Fixit.
Shahidan Shafie is known as Mr. Fixit
The AG refuses to drop the case against Rosli Dahlan
Yet, AG Gani refused to allow MACC to withdraw the case against Rosli. According to AG Gani, he has absolute discretion under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution and there is nothing anyone can do about it. AG Gani flatly rejected the recommendation by MACC’s Chief Commissioner, Dato Seri Abu Kassim, to withdraw the charge against Rosli. Abu Kassim knew that the MACC is flogging a dead horse in Rosli’s case. Abu Kassim told Tan Sri Robert Phang, former Senator Dato William Lau and several others that the MACC did not want to drag Rosli’s case any further. But AG Gani Patail said NO. He wanted to teach Rosli a lesson as a signal to everyone else never ever to go against him.
AG Gani flatly rejected the recommendation by MACC’s Chief Commissioner, Dato Seri Abu Kassim, to withdraw the charge against Rosli.
ACT 2: Minister Nazri Aziz and the Mainstream Media
When Tan Sri Robert Phang gave his press conference on November 30, he was concerned that the MACC was being seen as a rubber stamp to all the wrongs committed by AG Gani Patail as accused by Dato’ Mat Zain Ibrahim, formerly OCCI KL, in his public letters. But the main stream media (MSM) – The Star, The NST, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian were extremely quiet, as if there was a news embargo to report against anything about AG Gani or Shahidan. The same MSM selectively chose not to report on Robert Phang‘s press conference. Those that reported, picked Phang‘s quotes very selectively.
Selective Reporting and Spin by Mainstream Media (MSM)
Yet, the next day, the MSM widely publicised Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, YB Dato‘ Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz, slamming Phang for that press conference. Feeling hurt that Nazri had used some unMinisterial language on him, Phang responded with a biting press statement. Again, the MSM embargoed Phang’s press statement, which you can see in my previous posting. Phang is no old coot who only whines. To take on Nazri Aziz, a person has to be a “real jantan“. Those are not my words. Those are Nazri’s words whenever he challenges anyone. Now that Phang has retorted, we will wait and see whether Nazri barks and bites to see who is the real jantan between them!
Nazri had used some unMinisterial language
To be fair to Phang, his retort to the Minister is legitimate. There was no necessity for Nazri to be over defensive by being offensive. The public has a right to know if AG Gani is compromised by his relationship to Tajuddin’s proxy. The public is entitled to know if AG Gani’s decision not to pursue action against Tajuddin is tainted by his close relationship with Shahidan. Is that an innocent social relationship? If it is, since when have they known each other? Did they know each other when the AG Chambers decided to close the MAS case?
Shahidan Shafie: Mr Fixit and Tajuddin’s Proxy
As for Shahidan, he has a chequered and dubious past. He was charged for bribery when he was the OC Secret Societies in Johore. It would be unbelievable for the AG if he claims he did not know this. The MACC has this record on Shahidan. Shahidan’s cousin and adopted sister, Rizana Daud, is married to Tajudin’s brother, Bistamam Ramli. Tajuddin made Rizana the Company Secretary of MAS when the plunder of MAS occured. When Tajuddin left, MAS had accumulated debts amounting to RM8.8 billion.
As for Shahidan, he has a chequered and dubious past. He was charged for bribery when he was the OC Secret Societies in Johore. It would be unbelievable for the AG if he claims he did not know this.
Is the AG about to say that he did not know all that about Shahidan? Earlier on, RPK had produced eye witness accounts and photographs of AG Gani being beside Shahidan throughout his bereveament over his son’s death- from daylight to sunset. If that is not close relationship, what is then?
The AG: A Public Official?
That brings us to this issue – isn‘t the Attorney General a public officer? Isn‘t there a code of conduct that governs him as a public officer that the MACC should apply against him in evaluating the appropriateness of his conduct in consorting with Shahidan? If the MACC wants to take action against the AG, they can resort to Perintah Am Bab D (Tatakelakuan dan Tatatertib) Pegawai Kerajaan. But I am not going to teach the MACC to do their job. I pointed that out because there is a Malay proverb -“ Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih“ ( where there is a will, there is a way.)
ACT 3: Sudden Appearance of Ragunath Kesavan, Malaysian Bar President
What I really wanted to say in this piece is about the behavior of the President of the Malaysian Bar, Ragunath Kesavan. His recent statement in defence of the A-G’s conduct is echoing Minister Nazri Aziz’s statement. Why is that He is a strange creature. Instead of focusing on his mandate to serve the interest of his legal fraternity, he dabbles in politics. coming from the President of the Malaysian Bar?
He is a strange creature. Instead of focusing on his mandate to serve the interest of his legal fraternity, he dabbles in politics.
In case you wonder what is the Malaysian Bar, let me explain. The Malaysian Bar is a body, like an association, that represents all lawyers in the country. To be a lawyer, you must be admitted to the Bar. The Bar is managed, governed and regulated by a committee that is elected by lawyers called the Bar Council, which is established under the Legal Profession Act. Ragunath Kesavan is the President of the Bar Council which means he is supposed to voice out and protect the interest of his members – the lawyers in this country. Is he doing that?
We are now seeing a public spat between Robert Phang and Nazri Aziz. Phang wants AG Gani to explain his conduct, but Nazri says AG Gani owes no explanation to Phang whom Nazri regards as someone ordinary from the street. Phang has openly slammed AG Gani for victimizing Lawyer Rosli Dahlan. And Phang is not even a lawyer. He is not an office bearer in the Bar Council and he has nothing to do with the Bar. He is a social activist fighting for the cause of justice, and he sees injustice in the way Lawyer Rosli was treated.
