Lawyer takes pot shot at four academics against Rome Statute
PUCHONG: Constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiat took a pot shot at the four academics who provided anti Rome Statute points to the Malay Rulers in his invitation to the public to attend a public forum.
“It’s a shame that none of the four academics (whose report were heavily criticized) have accepted the invite,” he said on Twitter.
“If academics are not willing to publicly defend their opinions, I think people can judge for themselves what that means.
He said that in reference to the Malaysia and Rome Statute forum scheduled to be held on next Saturday which will feature Attorney General Tommy Thomas, Professor Shad Saleem Faruqi, G25 leader Nor Farida Ariffin and Coalition for Academic Freedom’s student activist, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi.
The event is held at Tun Suffian Auditorium in Universiti Malaya’s law faculty.
The four academics Lim referred to are International Islamic University of Malaysia’s law lecturer Assoc Prof Shamrahayu Ab Aziz, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) law lecturer Fareed Mohd Hassan, Universiti Teknologi Mara’s deputy vice-chancellor and dean of Faculty of Law Prof Datuk Rahmat Mohamad and USIM law lecturer Hisham Hanapi.
Malaysia had acceded to the Rome Statute which enables the nation to the International Criminal Court but announced its withdrawal due to pressure from certain quarters that were worried over the position of the Malay Rulers.
Responding to Lim, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel wondered why did the government not do its homework by explaining to the public the reason for the ratification in the first place.
“I am puzzled why the government isn’t doing its own public education and explanation on the reasons they ratified the statute in the first place.
“Why it is good for Malaysia and the positive elements of ratifying Rome Statute. Too bad they had to pull out.”
