Instead, he said that in 2015, he was actually looking forward to his retirement from the bench in the subsequent year.
He was testifying in his defamation suit against DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang. The former AG claims Lim defamed him in a 2019 article titled, “Dangerous fallacy to think Malaysia is on the road to integrity”.
He alleged that the Iskandar Puteri MP’s statement depicted him as someone who is immoral and unethical, without integrity, and had practised double standards while holding the position of AG.
He was appointed as AG to replace Abdul Gani Patail on July 28, 2015. Apandi said the AG’s job was not a “walk in the park”.
“The AG does not only advise federal and state governments but also assumes the role as public prosecutor (PP).
“As the PP, there are thousands of IPs (investigation papers) submitted to me and of course I delegate some to the legal officers in respective states to peruse the papers, except in high profile cases that involve certain personalities,” Apandi said.
He rebutted lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo’s contention that he did not act on the 1MDB investigation papers during his three-year tenure.
“This job has taken a toll on my health. This position is a contract post and I did not enjoy any pension from it. In fact, I received a lower pension as a judge because I left before my retirement.
“This was the sacrifice I made,” Apandi said.
Apandi was seen wiping away tears and said he was venting his feelings after allegations were thrown at him.
Lawyer M Visvanathan then sought for a break, which Judge Azimah Omar allowed.
When the hearing resumed, Apandi apologised to the court for his outburst.
I NFA-ed probe against opposition members, says Apandi
The former AG also told the court that he dealt with investigation papers objectively.
“Since counsel was harping on the fact that I was from Umno, I (want to say that I) pressed charges against Umno leaders like Jamal Yunos for rioting and causing public nuisance.
“I directed charges to be filed against the children of Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and others for assaulting Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad,” Apandi added.
He also said investigations were launched against PKR’s Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong and former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. However Apandi did not specify what offences they were investigated for.
“I later exercised my discretion not to charge them,” Apandi added.
The hearing continues on April 8.