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PETALING JAYA: Former Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali is demanding compensation from the government for the “illegal dismissal” by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad two years ago.
In a demand letter sent to the Attorney General’s Office on September 30, the Shukor Baljit & Partners law firm said Apandi categorically stated that his removal from office was illegal and therefore null and void.
“As a result, our client had suffered damages, including, but not limited to, loss of earnings and other benefits from July 27, 2018 to July 26, 2021,” says the demand letter seen by FMT.
The monetary loss suffered by Apandi during this period is known to be approximately 2 million ringgit.
The law firm said a lawsuit would be filed after seven days of notification unless Apandi received an offer of restitution and damages acceptable to him.
Apandi’s tenure had seen a series of controversies since the day he replaced Abdul Gani Patail, whose services were abruptly terminated for what the government said were health reasons.
Furthermore, in early 2016, Apandi cleared then-Prime Minister Najib Razak of wrongdoing in 1MDB, a bone of contention for Mahathir and the opposition he led.
The letter said that Apandi, a former Federal Court judge, was appointed by the King on the advice of Prime Minister (Najib) for a period of three years until July 26, 2018.
He said that Apandi’s appointment could only be terminated by the King in accordance with Article 145 (5) of the Federal Constitution.
Just before the fourteenth general election in May 2018, Apandi’s term was extended for another three years.
Pakatan Harapan overthrew the BN government and Mahathir returned as prime minister for the second time on May 10, 2018.
The letter said that the chief secretary of the government in a letter dated June 5, 2018 notified that the King had consented to his dismissal, but that there was no evidence in this regard.
He said that the dismissal was decided by the prime minister himself, and that he had abused his position and committed the wrongful act of embezzlement in public office.
“The prime minister had behaved with the intention of causing or inducing a breach of contract between the government and our client,” the letter said, adding that Mahathir’s conduct at the time was one of “colorful exercise of power.”
