PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) selection of ex-PKR member Latheefa Koya to head the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) could jeopardise the perception of the agency’s independence, the Malaysian Bar said.
Its president Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor (pix) said the Bar is concerned with her suitability to hold the high-profile position.
“Her appointment was made without the knowledge of a parliamentary select committee tasked with vetting candidates for key government posts.
“While Latheefa Koya has been a vocal advocate in standing up against injustice, and has been actively involved in numerous public interest and human rights cases, the Malaysian Bar is concerned with the manner in which the appointment took place,“ he said in a statement today.
He said while the Parliamentary Special Select Committee has no force of law, its establishment was an important step to ensure that appointments of such key government positions would be transparent, and to serve as a check and balance on the executive branch, in line with the promises made in the election manifesto.
Although acknowledging her years as a lawyer, he emphasised that she lacked experience in leading law-enforcement agencies.
Abdul Fareed urged PH to stop ignoring its own manifesto pledges by continuously claiming these were not legally binding.
“Failure to consult the parliamentary select committee reflects poorly on the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity,“ he added.
He also pointed out that political appointments should have ended on May 9, 2018, a day after Malaysians voted out the previous government.
“The Malaysian Bar calls on the relevant authorities to clarify these critical matters, in order to ensure public trust and confidence in the independence of the institution and therefore the value of the government’s overall effort in combating corruption.”
Meanwhile, prominent lawyer and activist Siti Kasim yesterday took the Bar president to task for using his post to express his personal political views on Latheefa’s appointment.
She said Abdul Fareed’s statement was political and unethical, telling him to “stick to the law” when issuing statements on behalf of the statutory body.
“I question the wisdom of our president in making this political statement.
The Bar only issues statements when it concerns the law. This is unethical and shouldn’t be the Malaysian Bar’s stand. The President can state his own personal opinion but not on behalf of members.
“Not consulting the Parliamentary Select Committee is not against the law.
Many posts in current government or before were held by inexperienced people. The prime minister has the power to appoint who he deems fit,” Siti wrote on her Facebook page.
The Prime Minister’s Office unexpectedly announced Latheefa as the new MACC chief on Tuesday to mixed response from Malaysians.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was his personal decision to appoint Latheefa to the post, and that he did not consult the Cabinet on the matter.
Mahathir reasoned the appointment by arguing that it would be unfair if PH could not reward those with certain qualities who had worked hard to help it win the general election.