Bowler’s appeal: AG must push for review

DAP's Gobind Singh says the AG should do this since the judgment in favour of the bowler has been criticised by the public.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail has been urged to call for a review on the Court of Appeal’s judgment with regard to a national bowler.

“The decision must be reviewed preferably by a full bench of the Court of Appeal to determine its correctness, regularity and legality,” said Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.

Gobind, a lawyer, was commenting on the case of Noor Afizal Azizan who appealed against his five- year jail term for committing statutory
rape three years ago.

Court of Appeal president Raus Sharif had allowed the appeal on the basis that public interest would not be served if Noor Afizal was jailed since the latter had a bright future as a bowler.
Afizal was allowed to be bound on bonds amounting to RM25000.

Gobing further queried Gani on whether the AG’s office had agreed to bind Noor Afizal.

“The attorney-general should in the meanwhile also state whether this was a case of plea bargaining.
“Did he or his office agree to an order to bind over in the Sessions Court to begin with?” asked the DAP legal bureau chief.

“There is the argument that the sentence has failed to send out a correct signal to would be perpetrators of offences of such a nature thereby losing its deterrent effect. 

“This is further compounded by the remarks allegedly made by the Court that a custodial sentence would have a negative impact upon the‘bright future’ of the accused involved,” he added.

On a similar note, he also urged the court to make the reasons for allowing Noor Afizal’s appeal public.