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…

1. The video clip was authentic;

2. Lingam was having a phone conversation with former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim;

3. Lingam was actively involved in the appointment of Ahmad Fairuz as President of the Court of Appeal, with the possible aim of his further appointment as Chief Justice;

4. Lingam had asked his close friends tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to involve themselves actively in the appointment of judges, in particular the appointment of Ahmad Fairuz as the Chief Judge of Malaya and subsequently, President of the Court of Appeal;

5. The phone conversation indicated Lingam’s ‘uncanny knowledge’ of what could be considered as matters protected under the Official Secrets Act; and that,

6. Tengku Adnan appeared to be Lingam’s ‘source’ in the Prime Minister’s Department. [Thestar]

Meanwhile, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has ordered a thorough follow-up on all the findings made by the Royal Commission of Inquiry as well as the 14-minute recording… which they probably should have done at the first place.

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.

[Follow this tag for updates about Lingam Tape Scandal]