Former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram has suggested Court of Appeal judge Idrus Harun, formerly solicitor-general at the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers, as the new AG.

Sri Ram told a local radio station that while he has met premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad at least twice after Pakatan Harapan’s historic May 9 victory, he has not given advice on the appointment of the AG.

Sri Ram, now a senior lawyer, claimed that his views on Idrus were also shared by former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman.

He said a person who makes a good AG understands the working of the AG’s Chambers and Idrus had been there for all these years.

Sri Ram said Idrus being a former solicitor-general would be most suitable as he had the added advantage being and had served in the chambers.

"(Idrus would not be suitable) to be a judge but I think he would make a good AG in line with the constitutional requirement," he said.

"He has been sidelined and placed in the judiciary by being appointed a judge at the Court of Appeal. However, he is suitable for the post," he said.

Pakatan Harapan has proposed the name of senior lawyer Tommy Thomas (below) as its sole choice as the new AG.

Sri Ram said he has nothing against and recognised that he is a well-respected lawyer but feels Idrus would fit the mould better.

"He (Idrus) had been sidelined by the previous AG, Abdul Gani Patail and the present AG Mohamed Apandi Ali.

"Idrus is a good boy, if not I would have suggested someone else. But on the bench he acts more like the solicitor general. So I guess he is perfect for the role in the new government," Sri Ram told Malaysiakini after the interview with the radio station Lite and Easy.

Sri Ram said it is important that the country ends the situation quickly by appointing a new AG who can act for the new government.

'Better than them'

However, the former judge told the radio station that the present situation is not an impasse.

He said that the advice by the prime minister must be followed including the removal of the attorney-general by the Yang di Pertuan Agong.

"There can never be two AG's. There is no protection of the AG's office.
The proper step (in appointing the new AG) is to remove the previous AG," he said.

Sri Ram added that the AG who is also the public prosecutor should possess knowledge of criminal law and the office.

"The AG's Chambers is a multi-faceted agency as you have the drafting, prosecution, trials and appeal division and international law.

"So the best suited person must have knowledge of these areas," he told the radio station.

"The most important thing is that you must know how the chambers functions as there are more than 600 lawyers there. Hence the AG must show that he is better than them," he said.

He added that as some countries like in Singapore, they had resorted to former judges to be the AG.

During the interview with the radio station, Sri Ram lamented that the quality of today's lawyers had depreciated badly and this is due to the education system which he proposed be reformed.

"If you look at the late Azlan Shah and Eusoffe Abd Kadir, they are graduates at the Inns of Court much so like former chief justice Arifin Zakaria.

"The Inns of court had trained good judges and lawyers in the past where the Americans also send their students there," he said, adding today's graduates sometimes do not know basic law.

Meanwhile former Sessions Judge Jagjit Singh Bant Singh said he fully supports Idrus as the new AG.

"Idrus is most suited to the job of AG. He has vast prosecution, drafting and in all areas of the AG's Chambers," he said, adding he had worked under Idrus in the drafting division and as a DPP.