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KUALA LUMPUR – The government and the special task force that investigated former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas’s memoir, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness, have filed an application to annul a lawsuit by the latter.
According to Free Malaysia Today, the court papers were filed last week, while case management before justice Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh is fixed for January 13.
The defendants also urged the court to strike out Thomas’ suit to prevent an injustice, stating that the suit is scandalous, frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court’s process.
The originating summons Thomas had submitted in October named task force chairman Datuk Seri Fong Joo Chung, the Malaysian government and seven others as defendants.
It was reported in November that the government and the task force intends to file an application against Thomas’s suit.
Thomas, who was AG from June 2018 and February 2020, is seeking a declaration that the purported report Laporan Pasukan Petugas Khas – Siasatan Ke Atas Dakwaan-Dakwaan Dalam Buku Bertajuk My Story: Justice in the Wilderness is an illegal document and a violation of the law.
He claimed that 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.
Thomas is also seeking a declaration that the government’s publication of the said report violates his right to reputation, which he said is protected by Articles 5(1) and/or 13(1) of the federal constitution.
The memoir, published in January last year, caused a public uproar, resulting in the cabinet setting up a special task force to undertake an in-depth review and analysis of the book.
On October 13, the government declassified the task force’s report, which among others, recommended that Thomas be investigated for various possible offences that included breaching the Official Secrets Act, abuse of power, professional negligence and making seditious statements. – The Vibes, December 20, 2022
