SHAH ALAM: The High Court has fixed September 8 for case management of the Attoney-General’s (AG) application to declare null and void a circular by the Selangor government.

The circular prohibits state officials from giving statements to the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) outside their offices as well as after office hours.

The date was fixed by deputy registrar Mohd Hafizi Abdul Halim in chambers Tuesday.

The originating summon was filed by AG Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail on August 20 against the Selangor state secretary as first defendant and the Selangor state government as second defendant.

In the application, Abdul Gani said that the first and second defendants has issued a circular on July 28 to all officers and staff whom are called for interview by MACC to help in its investigations.

Under the circular, the officers and staff were not allowed to be interviewed (or be witness) by the MACC outside their respective offices.

And, all the meetings and interview process must be held between 8am and 6.30pm only.

Abdul Gani said that the circular was unlawful and against Section 30(1)(a) and Section 30(3)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

He added that the circular could interrupt the statutory duties of the MACC officers.

Hence, as the AG and the guardian of the public interest, Abdul Gani said it was his responsibility to defend the Federals laws (undang-undang persekutuan), so that the public interest was not affected.

State governments counsel Fahda Nur Ahmad Kamar, who present at the court together with Yusmadi Yusoff, said the state government received the summon on Friday and has 14 days to reply to the AGs affidavit.

It was reported that the circular issued by the state secretary Datuk Ramli Mhamud on July 28 following the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Teoh, the political secretary of state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead at Plaza Masalam here on July 16 after he was questioned by the Selangor MACC, which is located on the 14th floor of the same building.

- The Star