Tan Sri Tommy Thomas
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar believes that the information shared by former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in his memoir on the alleged incompetence in the attitude, commitment and dedication of Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) officers are inaccurate.
Bar president Salim Bashir, in a statement yesterday, said all things stated in the book, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’ by Thomas were his own views and did not represent the opinions of the Malaysian Bar.
He said the Malaysian Bar had good professional relations with various levels and divisions in the AGC and the professionalism of the officers in the department was ‘very good and commendable’.
As such, he said the Malaysian Bar was of the opinion that it was inaccurate to label the whole AGC machinery as ‘incompetent, lack desire for progress and not competitive compared to lawyers in the private sector’.
“The level of competence demonstrated by the AGC officers, especially the deputy public prosecutors and federal counsels in handling a case, is something to be proud of and it shows an excellent level of capability on par with private lawyers,” he said.
Salim said if Thomas wanted to criticise the AGC, he should have done so while he was in service – or at least, offer a more constructive criticism now that he (Thomas) had resigned.
He said, although admittedly there were several shortcomings among the officers, it was normal in every organisation, either in the public or the private sector.
“We cannot make a general summary of the attitude of the officers and lawyers in the AGC. We (Malaysian Bar) believe many of AGC officers are capable of dealing with and prepared to accept constructive criticisms which aimed at improving themselves,” said Salim. — Bernama
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