Parties exploring mediation in suit over Apandi’s termination as AG - lawyer
Parties are mulling mediation to try to settle a lawsuit over Mohamed Apandi Ali’s alleged wrongful termination as attorney-general (AG), claimed his lawyer today.
Apandi’s counsel Baljit Singh Sidhu claimed that this followed on the heels of earlier case management of the legal action against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the government.
“Mediation is...
Parties are mulling mediation to try to settle a lawsuit over Mohamed Apandi Ali’s alleged wrongful termination as attorney-general (AG), claimed his lawyer today.
Apandi’s counsel Baljit Singh Sidhu claimed that this followed on the heels of earlier case management of the legal action against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the government.
“Mediation is scheduled to be fixed later,” he said.
He was speaking after online case management of the matter before the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
However, when contacted today, senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, who acts for the two defendants, clarified that it was Apandi’s side who was agreeable with mediation, while they did not agree with the proposal.
“(The court) may have proposed the mediation and the plaintiff (Apandi) agreed to mediate, but we did not agree (with the proposal),” said Shamsul today.
The suit is fixed for further case management on Sept 29.
According to an earlier May 10 letter from the court to parties, the parties were encouraged to refer the matter to the Kuala Lumpur Mediation Centre at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex.
On Oct 13 last year, Apandi filed a suit against Mahathir and the government over his alleged unlawful termination as AG during the previous Pakatan Harapan administration in 2018.
Through the lawsuit, Apandi seeks, among others, declarations that first-listed defendant Mahathir had committed misfeasance or misconduct in public office, and that the latter had caused and/or induced a breach of contract between the plaintiff and the second defendant, namely the government.
However, through a statement of defence filed in November last year, Mahathir and the government insisted that the termination of the contract was valid and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Constitution.
Meanwhile today, Baljit added that his client has been given the documents linked to his termination.
Previously on May 25, High Court judicial commissioner Latifah Mohd Tahar partly allowed Apandi’s discovery application to obtain correspondence related to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s assent for his termination.
Under Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system, the Agong as a general rule acts on the advice of the prime minister, such as on the appointment of an AG.
