Ex-AG Thomas files legal action to challenge task force report on memoir

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas has filed legal action to challenge a report by the special task force that investigated the contents of his memoir, "My Story: Justice In the Wilderness".

Thomas as the plaintiff filed an originating summons through his firm today, naming task force chairman Fong Joo Chung, who is the former Sarawak state attorney-general and legal adviser as the first defendant.

Other task force members, namely former Sabah state secretary Hashim Paijan; former secretary-general of the women, family and community development ministry Junaidah Kamaruddin who is also former director-general of the Legal Affairs Division; former judge and senior federal counsel Jagjit Singh Bant Singh; lawyers Shaharudin Ali and K Balaguru, as well as government representatives Farah Adura Hamidi and Mohd Najib Surip; and the government of Malaysia, were named as the second to ninth defendants.

In his suit, Thomas is seeking a declaration that the purported report produced by the first to eighth defendants is an illegal document which violates Sections 499 and 500 of the Penal Code and/or Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He is also seeking a declaration that the publication of the report by the ninth defendant is violative of his right to a reputation protected by Articles 5(1) and/or 13(1) of the Federal Constitution.

In his affidavit of support, Thomas alleged that the report was published with the intention to harm his reputation, and that it contained false and baseless allegations and was published with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass him. 

When contacted, lawyer Mervyn Lai, a member of Thomas’ legal team, said the lawsuit was served to the Attorney-General’s Chambers this afternoon.