PUTRAJAYA: Senior lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik is adamant not to submit on behalf of Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the SRC International Sdn Bhd appeal here at the Federal Court.
He was asked again by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on whether he would be making his submissions.
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“Don’t tell us you are not prepared to submit at all, not even on one of the 94 grounds of the appeal?” she said here on Friday (Aug 19).
The Chief Justice said if Hisyam was not ready to put in its submission in writing, the defence could always make oral submissions.
“You will have Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare,” she added.
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Hisyam responded with: “I will not be making any submission.”
The Chief Justice then said it was within Hisyam’s right to do so.
“It’s your right. It’s your liberty,” she said.
Earlier, the five-judge panel also denied Hisyam’s application to postpone the appeal to Thursday (Aug 29).
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He had told the court that he had to attend to another case.
The application was denied outright by the panel.
“As we have stated many times, there will be no adjournment of this appeal, we will proceed as scheduled. (Hisyam) you remain on record (as counsel),” the Chief Justice said.
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When approached by reporters outside of the court, Hisyam said his team was asked to come back on Tuesday (Aug 23) for the defence.
“I’ve explained to the court that as far as we are concerned, I will not make any submission.
“The position will be the same on Tuesday, that we are not making any submission on Tuesday,” Hisyam said.
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A check on the e-filing system shows that the corruption trial of Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will take place in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday and Tuesday.
Hisyam is Ahmad Zahid’s lead counsel in the trial.