KUALA LUMPUR — The High Court was informed today that former UMNO Supreme Council member Isham Jalil’s (picture) remarks about the trial and appeal proceedings of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak posed a genuine risk of undermining public confidence in the administration of justice.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam submitted that Isham, whose full name is Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil, had brought the judiciary into disrepute by making statements that questioned the conduct and decisions of both the Federal Court and the High Court concerning the SRC International and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) cases involving Najib.
He asserted that Isham’s conduct amounted to interference in the due administration of justice and constituted a serious contempt of court, warranting the imposition of either a fine or a custodial sentence.
“The contemnor’s averments that his statement during the town hall session was a fair and genuine criticism towards the judiciary are clearly against the evidence stacked against him,” he said during proceedings before Judge K. Muniandy.
Isham purportedly made the comments during an interview titled Townhall for Justice: Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa, on Sept 30, 2023, which was posted on The Malaya Post’s Facebook page the same day.
Meanwhile, Isham’s counsel, Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, contended that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court has fixed July 1 for its decision on the Attorney-General’s (AG) application to initiate committal proceedings against Isham.
On March 4 last year, the court granted the AG’s application for leave to commence the committal proceedings.
In an ex parte application filed on Dec 28, 2023, the AG sought an order for Isham to be fined or committed to prison.
The AG claimed that during the interview, Isham had challenged the recusal process involving Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is presiding over the 1MDB trial at the High Court.
The AG further asserted that Isham’s remarks had tarnished the reputation of the judiciary and could potentially erode public confidence. — BERNAMA
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