June 15 hearing for bid by task force, govt to quash Tommy Thomas' suit

The High Court today fixed June 15 to hear the application of a special task force and the government to quash the suit initiated by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas regarding an investigation report on the contents of his memoir, "My Story: Justice In the Wilderness".

Thomas filed the suit, naming the special task force’s chairman Fong Joo Chung, seven other members of the team, as well as the government as defendants.

Besides Fong, the special task force comprised Hashim Paijan, Junaidah Kamaruddin, Jagjit Singh Bant Singh, Shaharudin Ali, K Balaguru, Farah Adura Hamidi and Mohd Najib Surip.

When contacted, senior federal counsel Nur Irmawatie Daud, representing all of the defendants, said the court also ordered the defence to file its written submissions on March 27.

"The plaintiff has also been ordered to file written submissions on April 10 and all of the defendants to file counter submissions on May 2, if any," she said after the online case management before judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh today. 

Lawyer Haikaldin Mahyidin represented Thomas.
 
Thomas, who was the attorney-general from June 2018 to February 2020, is seeking a declaration that the report is an invalid document and against the law.

In the originating summons, he claimed the publication of the report violated 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 government violated his right to his reputation as protected by Articles 5(1) and 13(1) of the Federal Constitution.

The book, published in January 2021, sparked controversy which led to the Cabinet setting up a special task force on Oct 8, 2021 to conduct a study on the revelations it contained.

On Oct 13, 2022, the government declassified the special task force's report, which among others, recommended that Thomas be investigated for possible offences.