Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this

"AG to resign, Gani culprit" - that was the SMS message malaysiakini received from a source on the night of Deepavali.

For those who have their ears close to the ground, news that Attorney-General Ainum Mohd Saaid - only 11 months into her job as the country's top legal officer - would quit may not be too preposterous.

After all, there had been persistent rumours - though vehemently denied - that she was being investigated for possible wrongdoing when serving as a top official in the Securities Commission a few years ago. Moreover, after her mentor, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, was consigned to political oblivion, it was really a matter of time that Ainum be decommissioned.

However, the speed of Ainum's demise nevertheless took many by surprise. At malaysiakini , we did try to confirm the SMS message, especially when this was followed by an elucidative e-mail message.

Written by an 'Abang Baik' (Good Brother), the message began with a bold assertion - " Peguam Negara letak jawatan Isnin ini " (AG to resign on Monday).

Backdoor exit

Indeed, four days before the official announcement of Ainum's resignation, a malaysiakini journalist waited for the AG while she was having one of the many marathon Legal Profession Qualifying Board meetings to discuss the CLP scandal.

The journalist sent word that malaysiakini would like Ainum to answer questions on an important matter. However, immediately after the meeting, the AG left the building through a back door.

The only other person, aside from Ainum, who could confirm the resignation was de facto law minister Rais Yatim. Unfortunately, Rais does not take phone calls from malaysiakini and there was no public function which our journalists could "ambush" him.

Apparently, our colleagues in the mainstream papers were also seeking to confirm the story. Clearly, they have better access to the authorities - two days later The Star quoted Rais that there would be changes in the AG's Chambers while New Straits Times followed up on Sunday with the speculation that Abdul Gani Patail - the lead prosecutor in the Anwar Ibrahim trials - would be the new AG.

On Monday, Rais announced at a press conference - in which malaysiakini journalists were told they were not welcome - that Ainum would be resigning for "health reasons" on Jan 1, 2002 to be replaced by Abdul Gani.

Conspiracy theory

Now, rewind to Abang Baik's e-mail.

Abang Baik said Ainum would resign on Monday. Correct. He added the resignation would be for "health reasons". Correct. And he said Abdul Gani would be the new AG. Correct again.

But there is more to Abang Baik's e-mail. According to him, the downfall of Ainum was the result of a conspiracy by Abdul Gani, chief secretary to the government Samsuddin Osman and his successor as the Home Ministry secretary-general Aseh Che Mat - all of whom are known to be Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's men.

Abang Baik added that Ainum was told by Samsuddin at a meeting on Nov 7 to step down on 'orders' of Mahathir. Subsequently Ainum met Mahathir on Nov 12 to verify the 'instruction'. At that meeting, Mahathir 'advised' the AG to resign for 'health reasons'. Apparently, Rais' last-minute intervention failed to save Ainum.

And yesterday, the plot thickened.

According to the Dewan Rakyat speaker, Abdul Gani's appointment has yet to be approved by the Agong. If that is the case, it would directly contravene the Federal Constitution which stipulated that the choice of the AG must be approved by the Agong, on the advice of the prime minister.

Why then the haste to name Abdul Gani as the new AG?

And if indeed the Dewan Rakyat speaker was wrong - that the appointment did receive the royal stamp of approval - then which Agong gave the green light? The late Agong Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, who was then seriously ill, or the acting Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu?

Abang Baik has proven to be right on the unfolding events in the AG's Chambers over the past two weeks. There is no doubt that he has access to a well-placed source within the chambers. And time will tell whether the rest of his claims, too, are true.

ADS