State party stand on Najib 'house arrest', DAP MP tells MCA's 'Milo tin'

Summary:

• Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng chides MCA president Wee Ka Siong over the royal addendum issue, calling him an empty ‘Milo tin”.

• The DAP leader points out that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s sub judice argument is valid in the Malaysian judicial system, as per a court precedence.

The debate over a purported supplementary order for former premier Najib Abdul Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest has intensified with insults hurled into the mix.

Not holding back, DAP lawmaker Lim Lip Eng took aim at MCA president Wee Ka Siong, calling him an empty "Milo tin”.

The Kepong MP also demanded that Wee be transparent and clarify whether MCA supports Najib serving his sentence at home.

“The public deserves a direct answer from MCA, free from ambiguity,” Lim (above) emphasised in a statement today.

Lim’s remarks were in response to Wee, who had dismissed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s refusal to confirm the existence of the supplementary order.

"MCA president Wee Ka Siong has shown the public that an empty vessel - or perhaps a ‘tin Milo’ - makes the loudest noise.

"This was evident in his unfounded attack on the prime minister, accusing him of withholding information about the royal addendum,” he added.

Lim pointed out that Anwar had already explained in Parliament that, due to the matter being sub judice, he could not provide further details.

He further clarified that, as the case is still under judicial review, the government is restricted by the rule of sub judice and cannot offer comments at this stage.

This was in reference to Najib’s challenge against the High Court’s decision to dismiss his judicial review application to enforce the alleged “house arrest order” purportedly issued by the previous king.

‘Stop embarrassing yourself’

As Wee is not legally trained, Lim, a lawyer, urged the MCA president to consult his party’s legal experts before making sweeping, uninformed statements regarding the royal addendum.

"Otherwise, he risks further embarrassment," he warned.

To provide "some legal clarity" to Wee, Lim explained that while the rule of sub judice is often associated with jury trials, Malaysian courts, including the Federal Court, have affirmed its relevance within the local legal system.

For legal guidance, he suggested that Wee refer to the judgment of Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali in PP v Najib Tun Razak [2020] 11 MLJ 808, particularly paragraphs 1222 to 1226, where the principle of sub judice is discussed in detail.

“This legal precedent clearly shows that Wee has overstepped by commenting on an issue he does not fully understand.

“Whether this is due to poor advice or ignorance, his reckless remarks warrant a public apology to the prime minister,” Lim added.

Anwar had previously informed the Dewan Rakyat that he could not address the question due to parliamentary rules against sub judice discussions and because the current king has not granted permission.

Wee, however, countered that the sub judice rule no longer applies since jury trials have been abolished in Malaysia’s legal system.

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