Shahrir Samad says lawsuit not an act of revenge but to ensure enforcement powers are used properly

Former Johor Bahru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad testified in a lawsuit against Tommy Thomas, Latheefa Koya, the MACC, and the government that his legal action was not motivated by revenge, but rather to ensure proper use of enforcement powers. Speaking in court, Shahrir, 76, emphasized that the powers to investigate, seize, arrest, and prosecute should only be exercised after a thorough and fair investigation.

He stated that anyone could be investigated if there were valid grounds, but an investigation must be comprehensive before an individual faces arrest and charges for a serious offence. Shahrir was initially charged in January 2020 with failing to declare RM1 million received from former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the Inland Revenue Board, which was later acquitted by the High Court in January 2023.