KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar has called for an independent commission to select and recommend the appointment of the Attorney-General (AG) to the Yang Di Pertuan Agong.
This call was part of the motion to seek AG Apandi Ali’s removal which was passed at the Bar’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) today.
At a press conference after the AGM, Malaysian Bar President Steven Thiru said such a commission would not require the constitution to be amended.
He said the commission would be similar to the judicial appointments commission to appoint judges, a position of judges recognised under the constitution.
“So you can have a layer under the constitution where this can work, so that’s what we’re looking at.”
“There must be a transparent recommendation process and the recommendation to the Agong should be a result of that process.”
Thiru said the commission should be independent and free from interference of the Executive powers.
He added that the Bar maintains its view that the position of the AG must be separated from the position of the public prosecutor.
He added that the public prosecutor should be a professional, rank and file public prosecutor who answers to public interest.
He said this was the practice in many other countries and that the setting up of a commission could lead to the separation of AG and public prosecutor.
At present, the Agong appoints the AG on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Bar also passed a second motion to abolish the “No Discount Rule” under the Solicitor’s Remuneration Order 2005.
Lawyers will now be allowed to give discounts of up to 25 per cent on their fees for specified non-contentious business.
Prior to this, lawyers were barred from giving discounts on their fees under the rule since 2006.
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