Court of Appeal grants Tommy Thomas' bid to recuse High Court judge in Shahrir's malicious prosecution suit
A three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Supang Lian, Datuk Faizah Jamaludin and Datuk Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin set aside the High Court's decision.
In January, the High Court judge, Roz Mawar Rozain, dismissed Thomas's application to recuse her from hearing the case.
In today's proceeding, Justice Faizah, who delivered the court's unanimous decision, said there was a real danger of bias on the part of the High Court judge if she continues to hear the case, although it may be unintentional.
'The learned High Court judge is to be recused from hearing all future proceedings and the trial in the civil suit,' she said.
Justice Faizah said the High Court judge's findings and observations during her ruling on Thomas's striking-out application revealed her views on the merits of Shahril's case against Thomas.
'As an informed and fair-minded bystander, given the facts and circumstances of the case, we perceive that these findings and observations do give rise to a risk of real danger of bias by the learned judge,' she said.
The court ordered a legal cost of RM30,000 to be awarded to Thomas for proceedings in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
In July last year, Roz Mawar rejected Thomas' application to strike out Shahrir's lawsuit and ordered the case to go for a full hearing.
Shahrir had filed the suit against Thomas, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, the MACC and the Malaysian Government.
The former Johor Bahru Member of Parliament's lawsuit concerns a RM1 million cheque he received from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for restoration work on the Puri Langkasuka housing project in Larkin, Johor.
Thomas, who served as AG from June 2018 to February 2020, refuted Shahrir's allegations of abuse of power, describing them as 'unsustainable'.
Thomas further explained that he resigned on February 28, 2020, and that Shahrir's criminal trial for the charges began on July 26, 2022.
On January 5, 2023, High Court Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin acquitted Shahrir on the charge of failing to declare the RM1 million income received from Najib to the Inland Revenue Board. — Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
27 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Rafizi hints at quitting politics, says PKR ‘culture' not worth fighting for after losing post to Nurul Izzah
KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 – Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has hinted at the possibility of not contesting in the next general election, and also not seeking any posts in PKR in the future. The former economy minister said he would rather not be part of the 'political culture' displayed by the party during its internal elections — in which he lost the post of deputy president to Nurul Izzah Anwar. 'If I was willing to give up a ministerial post, then not contesting in a general election would be an even smaller matter. 'In truth, I've yet to decide whether I'll contest in the next general election,' he said in his Yang Berhenti Menteri podcast yesterday. Although he did not elaborate on the specific culture he was referring to, Rafizi stressed that he had little confidence in the party's ability to eliminate such practices. 'The culture shown in PKR during the recent party elections is not something I want to be a part of,' he said. 'If there's another round of elections, I don't think we have what it takes to clean the party of that culture.' Rafizi also added that he is ready to enter a new phase of life, and will not look back on his decisions. Rafizi stepped down from his Cabinet post earlier in May, citing the loss of party mandate to continue implementing reform policies within the government after the loss to Nurul Izzah. He previously said that he had received numerous messages inviting him to join other political parties, but he was not interested.


Malay Mail
27 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Anwar heads to Brazil for Brics summit, pushing inclusive global order and AI governance as Asean chair
KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to reinforce the importance of multilateralism amid a rapidly polarising global landscape and Malaysia's unwavering commitment to a more balanced, inclusive world order at the 17th Brics Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6–7. Acting Head of Mission of the Malaysian embassy in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, Datuk Mohammad Ali Selamat, said the Prime Minister will deliver a statement entitled: 'Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic–Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence,' during the session for Brics partner countries on Sunday. He will also deliver another statement on 'Environment, COP30 and Global Health' on Monday. Speaking to the Malaysian press in a virtual session from Brasília, Mohammad Ali said both interventions reflect Malaysia's steadfast commitment to strengthening multilateralism and amplifying the voice and interests of developing countries, aligned with the core objectives of Brics 2025. Anwar is set to arrive in Rio de Janeiro this morning for the Brics Summit, following his official visit to France, which ended yesterday. This marks his second visit to Brazil, after attending the G20 Summit as a guest last year. Both visits are on the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. 'The Prime Minister will emphasise the importance of multilateralism through constructive dialogue and inclusive collaboration, as Malaysia firmly believes that platforms such as Brics play a vital role in enabling the international community, particularly developing countries of the Global South, to collectively address shared challenges that threaten sustainable development, equitable growth and global stability. 'Malaysia, as Asean Chair, promotes regional cooperation through digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and more inclusive trade. 'In the second session, the Prime Minister will focus on the challenges of addressing global health issues and climate change through international cooperation, while also emphasising efforts to strengthen climate financing towards a sustainable transition,' he said. As Chair of Asean 2025, Mohammad Ali said Malaysia is also looking forward to strengthening ties between the two groupings to enhance regional economic cooperation that contributes to collective efforts toward building a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable global economy during the Brics Leaders' Summit, themed 'Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.' Anwar, who is currently undertaking a visit to three countries — Italy, France, and Brazil — from July 1 to 7, is scheduled to arrive in Rio this morning for the summit. Malaysia's participation in the summit is in its capacity as a Brics Partner Country and as Chair of Asean 2025. Malaysia officially became a Brics Partner Country on January 1 this year. The Brics group — which serves as a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries of the Global South and collaboration across diverse sectors — was initially established by Brazil, Russia, India and China. It later expanded with the inclusion of South Africa in 2011, followed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2023, and Indonesia in 2024. Malaysia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda and Uzbekistan, were accepted as Brics partner countries. Meanwhile, during his visit to Rio de Janeiro, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, is scheduled to have a business meeting with Brazil's multinational aerospace corporation, Embraer. The Prime Minister's delegation here includes Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, senior government officials and representatives from Malaysian companies. Mohammad Ali also highlighted that bilateral trade between Malaysia and Brazil increased by 14.6 per cent to RM20.35 billion (US$4.38 billion) in 2024, rising from RM17.43 billion recorded in the previous year, maintaining Brazil as one of Malaysia's main trading partners in Latin America. Among Malaysia's exports to Brazil are electrical and electronic products (E&E), rubber products, petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products and palm oil-based manufactured products, while imports from the South American country include metalliferous ores and metal scrap, meat, coffee, and crude petroleum. 'Brazil is among the main markets for E&E and rubber products, while we import halal meat and raw sugar from Brazil, which contributes to Malaysia's food security,' he added. 'The oil and gas sector is Malaysia's largest investment through Petronas, while we will also hold discussions on semiconductors, food security, and green energy from time to time.' Rio de Janeiro is a vibrant coastal city in Brazil, renowned for its iconic beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema, the towering 38-metre Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado, and the stunning Sugarloaf Mountain, accessible by cable car. The city is also famous for its vast favelas, or shantytowns, and its world-famous 'Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro', a dazzling celebration with elaborate parade floats, colourful costumes, and lively samba dancers, which is widely regarded as the largest in the world. — Bernama


New Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Macron announces 'historic' Airbus-Malaysia Airlines deal
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said there had been an historic deal between Airbus and Malaysia, as Macron hosted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Paris. Macron said such deals highlighted the importance of trade between France and Asia, as Europe faces up to likely tariffs from US President Donald Trump. "I am thinking of the projects signed in the key minerals sector, in the rare earths sector with the company Carester which has just opened up a factory in the region of Lacq, the transport sector with this historic co-operation between Malaysia Airlines and Airbus, and in the energy transition sector," said Macron. Industry sources told Reuters this week that Airbus was close to winning an order from Malaysia Aviation Group for more A330neo long-haul jets.