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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Anwar Ibrahim released another section of the Lingam video (Part III - video below) which he obtained on last Friday (Jan 25). [Part I & Part II on Youtube]
The royal inquiry into the Lingam video clip has started on Monday (Jan 14). 17 witnesses are expected to be called to testify in the Royal Commission of Inquiry, including former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (full list on Bernama).
Anti-Corruption Agency officials has told the royal commission on the VK Lingam tape that the room featured in the video clip was indeed the lawyer’s living room, as mentioned by businessman Loh Mui Fah during some earlier press interviews.
Loh has admitted that he was the person who talked to VK Lingam in the video, and that the video clip is authentic and was taken by his son in late December 2001. Loh however claimed that neither he nor his son knew how the video clip managed to get into public.
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.
PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim is received an ACA notice today compelling him to reveal the source behind the Lingam video or risk going to jail. [Malaysiakini]
ACA’s request is not unreasonable, but I am kinda pissed with the one sided investigation so far. The independent panel is failing miserably in determining the authenticity of the video; while ACA is busy chasing after the whistleblower instead of investigating people alleged in the judiciary scandal.
What would you do, if…?
These lead to a question that has always been mingling in my mind… If I have somehow obtained a file (or video) that could prove that some VIPs are involved in some national scandal, what would I do? What would you do in this situation?
Would you just throw all the stuff in the public or would you go to someone like Anwar or Lim Kit Siang and passed on the responsibility to them? ACA is always asking people to give this proof to them instead of political parties… but frankly I don’t have much fate with ACA these days. I have a feeling that if the proof is true, they might close the case prematurely, or to a worse extent… going after me instead.
It would be logical to just past the buck to people like Anwar and then stayed behind the scene… the source of the Lingam tape was probably thinking the same way.
Now, what would Anwar do… would he risk going to jail or risk the safety of the person that entrust him with the video? As the situation has been greatly publicise, it would be unthinkable if the ACA would do any physical harm to the whistleblower… but then, who can guarantee that the whistleblower would not be harassed mentally, or ordered to keep quiet?
More than 2000 members of the Malaysian Bar and some concerned citizens have joined the Walk for Justice this morning at Putrajaya, from Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister’s office to hand over the Bar’s memorandum urging the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to probe the state of judiciary and memorandum on the establishment of a judicial appointments and promotion commission.
More details, pics and videos…
Malaysianbar ll Malaysiakini ll AFP ll Jeffooi ll Wengsan ll Rockybru