The first volume (191 pages) of the Royal Commission report on the VK Lingam video clip, which is the key portion of the report, is available online in PDF version via Malaysiakini.
Not sure if any common citizens would want to read through the 191 pages though; a few of the key highlights have been published in major newspapers anyway…
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Former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Noor has been appointed chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the video clip controversy featuring a senior lawyer purportedly brokering judicial appointments over the telephone.
Five other members of the commission are former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Amar Steve Shim Lip Kiong, former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar, former Solicitor-General Puan Sri Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh, Academician-Historian Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim and Datuk Abdullah Sani Ab Hamid (as commission secretary).
I don’t have enough knowledge to justify if these people are suitable candidates to investigate the matter, and I am not sure if the royal panel could produce anything more meaningful than the earlier 3-men panel.
Regardless of the result, I doubt that the findings could change the current situation where our judiciary system is being controlled (or at least influenced) by our BN lead government.
Even if the tape is found genuine, the people that will be penalized would probably be Lingam and Fairuz while the rest of the VIPs that are involved would keep hidden behind the curtain and not being punished.
The tape might help raise some public awareness that our country administration is not as clean as the government is trying to portray… perhaps it is the only meaningful purpose that it could serve in the end.
Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim has released the full version of the video…
Acting Chief Justice Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad has been confirmed to take over the top judicial post. Abdul Hamid has been the acting CJ since the retirement of Ahmad Fairuz in early October.
What concerned some people though… is the promotion of Umno-man Zaki Tun Azmi to take over Abdul Hamid as Court of Appeal president, which makes Zaki the #2 top judge in Malaysia and possibly the next Chief Justice.
Zaki Azmi is Umno’s former top legal adviser. He was controversially appointed as a Federal Court judge in Sept 2007 as the first ever person to be elevated directly to the highest court without having served as a judge in the lower courts.
Now here he is, the Court of Appeal president. The appointment is an indication that there were no other suitable candidates in terms of seniority and service in the judiciary, or perhaps a more logical explanation… that Umno led government is appointing their own man in top judiciary positions. It’s not a good sign either way.
Malaysian Bar has expressed their surprise with Zaki’s appointment, but trusted that “these concerns will be dispelled by a display of integrity and exemplary performance on the Bench by Zaki.” [Malaysianbar]
I can’t share the same optimism though. While the society is still having doubts over our judiciary system following the Lingam tape scandal, the Zaki Azmi’s amazing promotion is likely to further dent the reputation our judiciary independence.
A new version of Lingam video has been released; the extra 10 seconds at the end of the video shows that Ahmad Fairuz’s name was mentioned… it’s difficult to determine if it was VK Lingam who mentioned AF’s name though.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has released a video that was recorded in 2002, showing senior lawyer VK Lingam in a phone conversation, purportedly with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, allegedly fixing the appointment of ‘friendly’ senior judges.
I am not surprised with the scandal, but am surprised that something like that was caught on tape (or video, whatever). Our judiciary system is losing faith among Malaysians since former PM Mahathir Mohamad fired the chief judge in 1988. Since then Malaysia no longer have a judiciary that is independent from government administration.
It is therefore no surprise that money and relationship play a greater part in determining the position of senior judges rather than based on pure merit.
The main media has been extremely quiet on this saga; the news is not completely blackout, but the scale of the reports is pathetic.
Meanwhile DPM Najib Abdul Razak has said that the government will first confirm the authenticity of the ‘VK Lingam’ video before deciding on the next course of action. [Malaysiakini]
You can read the draft transcript via PKR’s website or Malaysiakini.
