5 Things You Need To Know About Tommy Thomas, PH's Choice For Attorney-General
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahahir Mohamad has proposed him to be the next A-G, succeeding Tan Sri Apandi Ali.
By John Lim — 04 Jun 2018, 01:23 PM
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahahir Mohamad has proposed lawyer and constitutional expert Tommy Thomas as the next Attorney-General
Tun Dr Mahathir had written to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong 10 days ago, asking him to replace Apandi Ali as A-G with Tommy Thomas. It was a unanimous decision supported by all Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders, the Malaysian Insight reported.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a Malay Mail report revealed that the Cabinet has given full support to Tun Dr Mahathir over his choice.
However, PH's request is currently left in limbo as the federal government and Istana Negara have failed to reach an agreement on Thomas' appointment
New Straits Times (NST) quoted Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad as saying that the Malay Rulers will meet on Tuesday, 5 June to discuss the matter.
"At this moment, Putrajaya and Istana Negara have not arrived at any agreement regarding the termination of service of the current Attorney-General (AG) and the candidate for his replacement.
"The Malay Rulers have been following this development and consider it their responsibility to help resolve this impasse," he said.
1. He read law at the University of Manchester and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1976
In addition to a law degree, the Kuala Lumpur native also studied International Relations at the London School of Economics.
He then served in the Bar Council from 1984 to 1988 and from 1993 to 2001.
2. He owns a litigation firm in Kuala Lumpur
According to its website, Tommy Thomas Advocates & Solicitors is "a multi-disciplinary legal practice, which offers a broad range of expertise across twenty areas of law."
The firm is located in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
3. He is an author of several law books
Thomas published two titles Abuse of Power and Anything but the Law simultaneously in 2016.
In Anything but the Law, Thomas covers diverse topics like past general elections, Malaysian icons, and economics. In fact, the topics are anything but the law. Abuse Of Power touches on Malaysian law and the Constitution.
He was also the editor of Insaf, the Malaysian Bar’s publication from 1985 to 1987.
4. He once represented Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in court, who was in the opposition then
Thomas acted as a legal counsel for Lim Guan Eng, who was then the Chief Minister of Penang, in several cases in high-profile court cases.
5. He also represented family members of passengers who were onboard the missing MH370 flight
Thomas represented the next-of-kin of Tan Ah Meng, whose wife and eldest son were onboard the MH370 flight with him.
They sued for damages over the loss of the couple and their son.