KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Former Umno information chief Isham Jalil will know on July 1 whether he will be held in contempt of court over remarks allegedly undermining public confidence in the judiciary.

High Court judge K. Muniandy fixed the date after hearing submissions in the committal proceedings filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), according to New Straits Times.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam argued, “The respondent has tarnished the judiciary’s reputation when he questioned the actions and decision of the Federal Court and the High Court involving both 1MDB and SRC International criminal cases.”

He said Isham’s comments posed a real risk of eroding public trust in the justice system.

Isham’s lawyer Tan Sri Azizan Harun contended that the statements were not made with the intent to bring the court into disrepute.

Azizan also said the AGC failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that his client’s actions amounted to contempt.

He added that the grounds raised during the hearing differed from those stated during the initial application, leaving Isham unclear on how to mount a proper defence.

“The courts must be strong enough to withstand criticism and should not overreact, especially in today’s social media era where everyone is free to express their opinions,” Azizan said.

He questioned why Isham could not express views similar to those raised by Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyers during court proceedings.

The AGC filed the application on December 28, 2023, based on Isham’s remarks in an interview titled “Townhall For Justice: Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa? (Who is Justice Really For?)”

The interview, which included criticism of Najib’s corruption trial and appeal related to 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd, was posted on the Facebook page of The Malaya Post on September 30, 2023.