Tony Wee

Tony

A good friend of mine, Tony, has just departed this world after an illness. I vividly remember his surprise visit to me in Penang a few years ago making a grand arrival his Rolls Royce. There were a few lawyers from KL visiting me then and after the introductions I asked him how he would react in the following circumstances if he was prosecuting a case of rape ( He was for many years counsel in the AG’s chambers, Singapore) and the defence produced startling evidence to show that the building where the alleged offence was committed was not then occupied, being under renovation. What would he have done? Tony said he would throw the file on the floor, apologise to the court for wasting its time, withdraw the prosecution and put a black mark against the name of the investigating officer; the fellow would be denied promotion for five years. The young lawyers were astonished because Anwar’s case was a recent memory: Anwar Ibrahimwas alleged to have committed an offence in a building that had not yet been occupied, but the Judge who sent him to jail simply amended the date of the offence, a amendment which simply would not have been countenanced by the court in 1959. It was a good law lesson for my visitors.