KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Former Umno Supreme Council member Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil or better known as Isham Jalil has offered to make an unreserved apology to bring an end to his contempt of court proceedings.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Akram Gharib informed High Court judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin that the ex-Umno leader has sent a letter of representation informing the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) of his intentions.

During the case management on Tuesday, Akram also informed the court that he needs to seek further instructions over Isham's letter of representation which was sent on March 25.

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DPP Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam also informed the court that the case papers were served to Isham on March 8. This, after the High Court's decision earlier that month to grant leave for the Attorney General (AG) to initiate contempt proceedings against Isham.

The ex-Umno man was not in court on Tuesday, prompting Judge Noorin to order his attendance during the next mention date on June 10.

Isham was hauled to court over his allegedly contemptuous comments related to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's court cases namely the now concluded SRC International trial and the on-going 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

If he is found guilty, the 47-year-old who was sacked as a Supreme Council and Umno member last December, could face imprisonment or a fine over his comments made in an interview entitled “Townhall for Justice: Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa". The comments were published on the Facebook page of “The Malaya Post” on Sept 30 last year.

Isham had among others, allegedly criticised the SRC trial's presiding judge Datuk Nazlan Mohd Ghazali's former employment at Maybank. The now appellate court judge had served as general counsel of Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and had advised the bank over matters concerning 1MDB.

However, the Federal Court during Najib's final appeal in August 2022 and a separate bench presiding over his review application in March 2023 had found this alleged conflict of interest to be baseless.

Isham had also commented on 1MDB presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah's decision in dismissing an application by the defence to recuse himself from the trial, which he is now presiding for the sixth year.

The defence made the application to recuse the now Court of Appeal judge on the grounds that he was partners with former 1MDB counsel Jasmine Loo in a law firm more than a decade ago.

Sequerah dismissed the application last August on the grounds that Najib had failed to prove that there is a real danger of bias. Najib is appealing this decision and the hearing is set for August. 

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