Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar at Parliament Building in Kuala Lumpur, October 5, 2021. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — De facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Cabinet will discuss the proposal of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) against former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas.
Replying to a question from Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Rahim (Baling-BN), Wan Junaidi said he could not make any decision alone and any suggestion for RCI should be discussed between the Cabinet.
“I also brought this matter to the Cabinet whether it is necessary or not whether the government needs to investigate this Tommy Thomas book,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during his ministry’s 12 Malaysia Plan winding-down speech.
The discussion about the RCI continued for a few minutes with Chang Lih Kang (Tanjung Malim-PH) and Datuk Salim Sharif (Jempol-BN) questioned whether the case of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission’s missing money and the death of a witness for the underground tunnel case warrants RCI as well.
“What are the criteria for an RCI to be done?” Chang asked.
Wan Junaidi replied that whether an RCI is called depends on the complexities of each individual case.
He said that most criminal cases that were investigated by the police or authorities are not complex in nature and do not warrant RCI.
“If every criminal case that does not have a complex matter was brought up then this RCI story will be really endless,” he said.
On October 4, Azeez called the government to form an RCI to investigate 15 prosecution cases dropped during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration and a book published by the former attorney general.