KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysian police said they will summon former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for questioning after his former colleague had reported him for criminal defamation in his recently released memoir.

Selangor Crime Investigation Department chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat said police would record a statement from the former attorney-general as soon as possible.

"So far, only one police report has been lodged against him in Selangor in connection with the book, " he said on Wednesday (Feb 3).

The report was lodged by former solicitor-general III Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria for alleged defamation in the memoir titled My Story: Justice in the Wilderness.

In Datuk Hanafiah's report, he claimed that an excerpt from Tan Sri Thomas' book had tarnished his image as a deputy public prosecutor and his 33-year service record.

Mr Thomas was quoted as saying the he wasn't confident that Mr Hanafiah and another senior Attorney General Chambers' officer were "capable of leading and supervising the incredible amount of preparation required" for the trial involving the misappropriation of funds at former 1MDB subsidiary, SRC International, by former prime minister Najib Razak.

Mr Thomas had also alleged that both Mr Hanafiah and his colleague were "more comfortable performing administrative duties" due to their "seniority in a bureaucratic organisation like the AGC" rather than preparing for a trial, according to Mr Hanafiah.

"What he wrote was not true as he makes it seem that I was lazy and not able to handle the prosecution in the SRC International trial, " he stated in his report lodged at the Cyberjaya police station on Tuesday.

The book excerpt in question was referring to the preparation of the prosecution team in the case against former prime minister Najib Razak in 2018 when he was the AGC's Trial and Appeals division head.

"On the contrary, once he (Thomas) instructed me to scrutinise the investigation paper (IP) for the SRC case, I formed a team of the best and experienced DPPs to scrutinise all statements in the IP and to prepare the prosecution based on the statements, that also involved various complex financial transactions.

"The issue of me leading the prosecution team did not arise, but my role was as a senior legal officer with vast experience in prosecution, " he stated in the report.

Mr Hanafiah also revealed that Mr Thomas had informed the team that the latter was going to lead them.

"For such a big case, it was only fitting for the AG to lead the prosecution, as many of his predecessors had done before.

"He never told me at any time that I was supposed to lead the prosecution team in the SRC case nor did he tell me that I was not capable of leading the team, " he stated.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that the Judicial and Legal Service Officers' Association (Jalsoa) has strongly objected to Mr Thomas' writings on legal officers in the AG's Chambers in his memoir, describing the remarks as insulting its members.

In a statement, its executive committee said the former AG's criticisms were also malicious.

"Jalsoa is very upset and affected by what he wrote. Legal officers, whether they are in the AG's Chambers or in the courts, always carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them in accordance with the provisions of the law regardless of who is the AG or the ruling government.

"The challenges, trials and pressures in the duties of a Legal Officer have implications not for any individual and client but the interests of the country and people in upholding the rule of law, " it added.

Under the Penal Code, those convicted of defamation are liable to punishment of up to two years in prison, or a fine, or both.