“The Board will issue a proper medical report on the state of the person’s health and certify his being unfit to work.”
If the officer’s appointment is at the pleasure of the Agong, added Mahathir, then the certificate must be produced for the Ruler to agree to the retirement, and for his signature to be given.
The former Prime Minister was commenting on a Malaysian Insider report, citing “sources”, that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Abu Kassim may be replaced soon.
Mahathir noted that Abu Kassim has some health problems but has been reported as saying that he hopes to retire at 60, the mandatory retirement age in the civil service. “Obviously, he does not think that his health would force him to retire any time soon.”
The former Prime Minister also expressed doubts that procedures were followed in the case of former Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail who was replaced in July last year on “health grounds”. “When he was retired, the Prime Minister said that it was for health reasons.
“Gani was suffering from kidney problems. A person with kidney problems can work for quite a considerable length of time. It is not a cause for early retirement.”
He pointed out that Gani was reported to have started private practice as a lawyer. “Obviously, he was fit to work.”
Resuming his posting on Abu Kassim’s immediate future, Mahathir said the question was whether the MACC chief will also be retired prematurely for health reasons since it’s known that the MACC has already submitted its investigation papers to the Attorney-General.
“The A-G said that he would act without fear or favour.”
Mahathir noted the A-G has added a caveat: he requires time as the report is supposedly as tall as him. “How much more time? Or is the A-G to determine whether there is a case for the judges to judge or will he be the judge and dismiss the case as indeed he had done with the Bank Negara report?”
Mahathir went on to warn that there was currently a deficit in terms of trust in the present government and its institutions. “There are many reasons for this deficit. Saying that everything is fine will get the government nowhere. Deeds count more than words.”
Abu Kassim’s removal will only convince the people that whatever was said about the government was true, summed up Mahathir, and that “it exists merely to prevent the rule of law being applied to the leadership of the nation”.