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Latheefa: What language did Thomas speak in when PAS hired him?
Published:  Jul 6, 2018 2:57 PM
Updated: 8:41 AM

Attorney-general Tommy Thomas' poor grasp of the national language continues to hog the limelight.

In a Twitter posting this afternoon, PKR supreme council member Latheefa Koya threw a curveball at PAS over the issue.

“I wish to ask when PAS hired Thomas to represent the Kelantan government in 2010 to file a demand for oil royalty in court, what language did Thomas speak in?” she asked.

Latheefa was responding to PAS ulama wing treasurer Khairuddin Aman Razaki, who claimed that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Thomas proved that Pakatan Harapan sidelines Bahasa Malaysia.

He was referring to Lim's use of the Chinese language in an official statement and Thomas seeking the court's permission to conduct the prosecution of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in English.

“The Harapan government must show its commitment to defending the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the official language.

“Do not give the wrong signal to the people that Harapan has demolished one of the pillars of this nation agreed to by all the races,” he had said.

After Najib was charged on Wednesday, Thomas was forced to shift his press conference to another location after Najib's supporters heckled him, demanding that he speaks in Bahasa Malaysia.

Thomas had also represented the PAS-led Terengganu state government when it filed a lawsuit against national oil giant Petronas and the federal government in March 2001 for breach of contract over discontinued payments in cash for oil royalty to the state government.

Earlier today, former socio-cultural advisor to the government Rais Yatim said Thomas should brush up on his Bahasa Malaysia skills and start incorporating the national language in government and court affairs.

Rais, now a Bersatu member, opined that it should not be hard for Thomas to do so, especially as Clause 1a, Article 152 of the Federal Constitution specifically states that Bahasa Malaysia, as the national language, should be used for official purposes.

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