KOTA KINABALU: Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum will file an affidavit-in-reply to the application filed against him by Sangeet Kaur Deo, daughter of the late Karpal Singh.
Sangeet, on Jan 14, applied to seek a declaration that Malanjum had failed to protect and defend the integrity of the judiciary regarding her father’s sedition case. Karpal was charged with uttering seditious words against the Sultan of Perak.
She also filed an originating summons in relation to the conversion of kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi’s three children Tevi Darshiny, now aged 21; Karan Dinesh, 20, and Prasana Diksa, eight, to Islam by her ex husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah.
“Malanjum said he had to file the affidavit as the court had ordered him to do so.
“That’s the court order and we have to file it. That’s how the law is. That’s the requirement,” he told reporters after the opening of Sabah and Sarawak Legal Year at the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex here today.
When asked when will he would file the affidavit, Malanjum said: “I’ve to follow the court order...It will be handled by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).”
Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the AGC, which represented the chief justice, to file an affidavit-in-reply by Feb 11, which has also been fixed for case mention.
Earlier at the opening of legal year, Malanjum mentioned Karpal Singh’s case, explaining the Malaysian Judiciary suspended its internal probe due to police investigation into the case.
The appeal in the Karpal’s case was still pending in the Federal Court.
Present at the event were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Attorney General Tommy Thomas, and Sabah and Sarawak Chief Judge Datuk David Wong Dak Wah, among others.
Asked whether there was a need to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Karpal Singh’s case, Liew said there was no need to do so.
“As the chief justice has explained, the Malaysian Judiciary has issued a statement to clarify the various allegations. We’ll wait for the police probe to be completed,” he said.
Among the issues highlighted at the opening the Legal Year 2019 was the Malaysian Agreement 1963.