KUALA LUMPUR: Former UMNO supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam has been issued a show-cause notice by the High Court here for verbally abusing a court policeman and questioning the country's legal system at the trial of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.

This was after Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran raised the incident involving Lokman and asked the court to cite for him for contempt against the 49-years-old politician.

"I was informed by a court police officer, Lance Corporal Walter that during the proceeding, he checked on a member of the audience in the gallery and had asked the person to stop playing with his phone.

"That person then retaliated and called him (policeman) stupid. The person has been identified as Lokman (Noor) Adam. It was rude behaviour from the member of the audience," she said.

At this point, Lokman who was seen standing from the public gallery interjected and said: "I only asked him (policeman) why taking notes using a laptop is allowed and using a handphone is not. I even showed him the notes that I took."

"I didn't say stupid to the policeman, I just said the law is stupid. This is unfair." he chided.

In response to this, Raja Rozela said not only Lokman had verbally abused the public servant, but he also insulted the court by calling the law stupid and unfair.

"Action should be taken immediately, following his words just now. Calling the law stupid in the face of the court. I requested for him to respond to the notice immediately to prevent him from escaping," said Raja Rozela.

Following the application, Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah issued a show-cause notice to Lokman and ask whether he wanted to engage a lawyer, to which Lokman said yes.

Justice Sequerah then set next Monday (July 4) for Lokman to appear in court with his lawyer to state the reason why he should not be cited with contempt of court.

Ahmad Zahid's corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering trial continues this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA