KUCHING: The Public Services Commission (SPA) may take action against civil servants who leak court judgement documents.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that SPA has certain provisions and disciplinary powers that can be used against such civil servants.
“The court itself has rules and constitutions. If the officer who leaked judgement documents is not from the judge, there is legislation under the SPA for disciplinary action to be taken.
“This matter (leaked) should not have happened, but it has happened. Do not do anything that can cause problems for anybody.
“And in this case, it causes problems to the judiciary,” said Wan Junaidi.
He told reporters this after attending the ‘Kembara Anak Samurai ke Sarawak’ programme at Kampung Santubong last night.
The Santubong MP was asked to comment on the alleged leaked judgement on the former prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case.
Wan Junaidi said this should not have happened and that the Malaysian government takes the matter seriously.
Earlier, Sentul District Police Chief ACP Beh Eng Lai said police have recorded the statements of two individuals in relation to the case, namely a High Court judge and a legal officer.
The Chief Registrar’s Office of the Federal Court lodged a police report over the matter on Aug 27, after the alleged judgement was published on a portal that had also carried a purported leaked draft of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC International appeal judgment.
Meanwhile on the 19 main issues which required further attention from the government following the allegations by former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in his book titled My Story: Justice in the Wilderness, Wan Junaidi said he could not reveal what are the issues concerned.
“I have not reported this matter to the Cabinet, so I cannot mention it even if I know what the 19 main issues are.
“Besides, I am bound by my duties and responsibilities. So, before this matter is disclosed to the Cabinet and before the Cabinet makes any decision, it cannot be disclosed.
“If I reveal it, then there will be a leak like we mentioned earlier, that cannot happen,” he said.
On Aug 29, Wan Junaidi said the special task force set up to conduct a preliminary study of allegations by Thomas in his book has identified 19 main issues that need further attention from the government.
He said the task force’s final report will be tabled to the Cabinet soon in order to get further instructions and the mandate for further action.
“The final report is prepared through document research and consultation sessions with relevant parties. In this regard, there were a total of 19 consultation sessions with various stakeholders consisting of government agencies, non-governmental organisations and individuals,” he said.
The report, he said, has been prepared over a period of nine months, from December 2021 to August 2022.
Wan Junaidi also said the task force had tabled and submitted the report to the Prime Minister’s Department in a meeting, which was also attended by senior officers from the Home Ministry, Attorney General’s Chambers and Office of the Chief Government Security Officer.
