Judiciary at stake: Explosive 8 minutes, 2002
Oh Malaysian Judiciary!
THE SHOCK-A-LINGAM TAPE. Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim released an explosive 8-minute video clip today that is set to rock the Judiciary and the Putrajaya Administration.
The video is now available on YouTube, thanks to Malaysiakini and alerts via the Bar Council.
I received an invitation to attend the press conference but it was logistically impossible for me to make it.
According to the video and the transcript published by Malaysiakini, the video shows senior lawyer VK Lingam in a phone conversation in 2002, purportedly with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, allegedly fixing the appointment of ‘friendly’ senior judges "for the sake of the country".
Among the matters discussed during the telephone conversation were the potential appointment of Ahmad Fairuz as the Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM) and his promotion as the Chief Justice (CJ), which eventually took place in 2003.
Incidentally, Ahmad Fairuz was on the three-member bench which had dismissed Anwar’s appeal against the corruption charge in the Court of Appeal in 2000.
The video is revealing as it can be heard through Lingam's monologue that several personalities were mentioned in what looked like a major conspiracy in Malaysia's tainted Judiciary.
SOURCE: Malaysiakini September 19, 2007
Anwar claimed that whatever has transpired in the exchange in 2002 between Lingam and Ahmad Fairuz had some bearing on the outcomes in a number of judicial proceedings, including his.
Besides urging for the setting up of an Independent Tribunal to investigate the issue, Anwar also made a special appeal to the Conference of Rulers to safeguard the rights of the people by exercising their discretionary powers within their jurisdiction.
'Set up Royal Commission of Inquiry'
In an immediate response, the Bar Council had called for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into this matter and the affairs of the Judiciary. "Nothing less will do," said Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan.
She said the Bar Council is “appalled” over the report and wanted immediate and urgent action taken to address the issues raised in the video. She added that the council will call an emergency meeting on Friday to address the issue.
"Rumours and allegations of such machinations have been rife since the Judicial Crisis in 1988," she said.
"With the emergence of this video clip, the concerns expressed by various quarters in relation to the judiciary can no longer be swept aside," she added.
Anwar: 'Lingam brought up my name'
The video clip that Anwar showed was about eight minutes long. The original footage was said to be 14 minutes when recorded sometime in 2002.
From the video, It is not clear who Lingam was meeting at his home in Kelana Jaya, or how many people were there. However, when he ended his telephone call, purportedly with Fairuz, he apparently turned to talk to the people at the meeting.
Interestingly, Anwar claimed that his name was mentioned at the same meeting, which involved a number of unknown individuals, at lawyer Lingam’s house in 2002.
In addition to the video footage, Anwar also played a short audio recording in which his name was brought up by Lingam.
It was at this meeting that Lingam had a telephone conversation with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz, who was then the Chief Judge of Malaya - the Judiciary’s No 3.
Their conversation was recorded on video by an unknown individual who is believed to be a participant of the meeting.
Anwar, however, did not disclose the identity of the person who recorded the video or who had given the clip to Parti Keadilan, but said it had been edited to conceal the identity of a ‘third party’.
Read the transcript here, view the video here, and listen to the audio clip here.
Official statements obtained from the Office of Anwar Ibrahim are available here:
1 ) Anwar's Statement on Lingam
2 ) Transcript of Conversation between Lawyer VK Lingam with current CJ Ahmad Fairuz
3 ) Transcript of an audio track not available in the video
From Malaysiakini
Transcript of Lingam’s conversation with Ahmad Fairuz
Sep 19, 07 5:39pm
Below is a transcript of the conversation by lawyer VK Lingam in his telephone conversation with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, as recorded in an eight-minute video clip.
"The CJ said he is relative to now Agong, so he wants to stay on to 68, so, Tengku Adnan, I told Tengku Adnan, yesterday I had a meeting with him.
He said PM is already very angry with him, he said no problem he is going to make you acting err.. confirm your position as PCA, working very hard then working very hard to get Tan Sri Mokhtar as CJM.
Ah, we just keep it confidential. I am working very hard on it. Then there is a letter, according to Tengku, I am going to see him tomorrow, there is a letter sent to CJ, I mean Tan Sri Dzaiddin, that Datuk Heliliah, Datuk Ramli, Datuk Ramli and Datuk Ma’roop be made judges, and he rejected Dr Andrew Chui and apa itu Zainuddin Ismail lah. Because Zainuddin Ismail condemned your appointment and Tan Sri Mokhtar’s appointment.
And then you also, you seems to wrote a letter for the remaining five be confirmed as judges. As per our memo I discuss with Tun Eusoff Chin and we sent the same memo to PM.
I just want to get a copy letter that that has been done.
And then Tan Sri Dzaiddin said he is going to recommend six people for the court of appeal, but until today the letter hasn’t come to PM. He never discuss, but neither he has sent the letter to PM. Yes he has not sent. I know it is under the constitution for judges all that is your job Datuk to send, but we don’t want to make it an issue now.
Ah. Ok Actually I told Tengku Adnan to inform PM, PM to call you for a meeting. I organize it so that Tengku Adnan will call you directly. And then I got your number, I will tell him to call you directly to for you to meet PM lah. So should be ok, then ar.. correct correct, it is very important that the key players must be there.
Correct, correct, correct, correct, correct. You know that the same problem that Tun Eusoff Chin has. He tried to do all this and yet he has run out of soldiers. He couldn’t do it because many are from the other camp. Last time was unfortunate because Tun Daim was doing everything sabotaging, otherwise how are things with you - everything is ok?. No, don’t worry.
You know sometimes Tan Sri Vincent that half the time they are talking about judiciary rather than doing the work. But if I don’t do this part my work will be useless.
Ha ha ha. Ah yes.Correct,correct,correct,correct,correct,correct. Right, right, right, correct. Ah right susah. You see he has now up for six court of appeal judges, so that he can put his men before he retires.
Correct, correct, correct, ah and then ah, correct. But never-mind, I will do this, I will get Tengku Adnan to arrange for PM to call you and Tan Sri Vincent Tan for PM to call you. And you know why, actually, I am very grateful with Tan Sri Vincent Tan you know why, I brainwash you so much even I quarrel with him.
One day I went to Vincent Tan house, I fire him at the night in his house. I said bloody hell if you don’t do this who will do it?
All these people Tun Eusoff Chin, Datuk Ahmad Fairuz, Tan Sri Zainon all fought for that. Then he called Tengku Adnan. Tengku Adnan he said, saya bukan Perdana Menteri Malaysia lah, you know. If the old man doesn’t want to listen to me, go to hell.
He quarreled with me. I said never mind, never mind, you talk to PM again tomorrow morning to put Datuk Ahmad Fairuz to CJM. So next day morning he went and he called me back 9.30 that he said PM has already agreed.
So I said never mind, we hope for the best. So I said no harm trying, the worst that it can happen is that you lose. Being the old man, he is 76 years old, he gets whispers everywhere, and then you don’t whisper, he get taken away by the other side. But, now PM is very alert because every time he gets letters from Tan Sri Dzaiddin, he called Tengku Adnan, he said discuss with Vincent, come and discuss.
Yes yes, ya. Correct, correct, ya, but you see although I know PM, I am a lawyer in practice my views are.. I go through them, I go through them lah. Ah, ah, ah, ah.
And then Dzaiddin will call them telling that you went saw PM and you make a big issue out of it. Oh ya, I think so, I think so.
Ok, fine, fine, fine, fine. Ok, ok, ok, ok.
Ah, ah. Correct, correct. Now I heard Raja Aziz, Raja Aziz two weeks ago spoke to my lawyer Thayalan, and another lawyer Ailan, in the high court, they have a case each other. So, Thayalan and Ailan asked Raja Aziz, how is Tan Sri Wan Adnan?
He said he is on his way down. But you know what is the shocking thing he said? Datuk Fairuz became CJM. He overruled everybody, in three months time, he is going be made PCA, and six months time he is going to be CJ. He said he can’t think, he’s shocked. He told us.
Ha, it seems that they are going to organize a campaign to run you down. But you just keep quite, don’t say anything. Even the press asked, you said I leave it to God, that’s all. Don’t say. I really like your message. You said you work very hard, what can I do? I leave it to God.
That’s the best answer Datuk that you can ever be.
Ah… I will also get Tan Sri to remind PM to put a Tan Sri-ship this year lah. This will elevate you, you know.
Oh yes, yes, yes, yes. Ha. Steve Shim got so fast, Tan Sri Chong waited for whole year to get Tan Sri-ship.
Ah.. My god that’s why, ah. Correct, correct, correct, correct. Ya, ya, ya, ya. Right, right, right. Correct, correct.
Don’t worry, we organize this. If Tan Sri Vincent and Tengku Adnan want to meet you privately, they will, I will call you. We organize in a private arrangement, in a very neutral place.
No don’t worry, Datuk, I know how much you suffer for Tun Eusoff Chin. And Tun said Datuk Ahmad Fairuz 110% loyalty. We want to make sure our friends are there for the sake of the PM and the sake of the country.
Not for our own interest, not for our own interest. We want to make sure the country come first. Well, you suffered so well, so much you have done. For the election, Wee Choo Keong, everything. How much, no body would have done all these.
Yes, you know. Good lah. Don’t worry. I am constantly working on this.
Ya ya, don’t worry, don't worry. We work hard on this. And Datuk, and then if Tan Sri Vincent and Tengku Adnan want to see you, I will organize it in such a confidential place.
Ok Datuk very best. God bless you and your family.
Ok. Thank you thank you. Bye."
Comments
If the Bar Council is willing to wake up from their slumber and screw their rice bowl, why not WE? If we do not screw our rice bowl now and come out of comfort zone and risk it for Malaysia, we screw our children’s future.
Let us be true freedom fighters of Malaysia, to free Malaysia from corruption and claim independence for a transparent Malaysia ready to face globalization and a better safe country.
UPHOLD JUSTICE AND SUPPORT THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
ENCOURAGE ALL MALAYSIANS to SPEND 10-30 MINUTES A DAY to support political awareness and claim transparency.
If we see lawyers, accountants, journalist, judges, policemen, teachers, IT administrators (who know the in and outs of data), secretaries —- OR COME OUT OF THE CLOSET AND DECLARE THAT THEY ARE FREEDOM FIGHTERS - we will see a NEW MALAYSIA.
ONE DAY, we will have a chance to shout MERDEKA meaningfully!
Wake up! Take the risk for Malaysia and not be TIDAK APA. Encourage others to do the same. CLAIM TRANSPARENCY and PUNISHMENT for those who shame us.
Posted by: hawaiichee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 19, 2007 10:24 PM
Wow...this is indeed very shocking.
However, I just have a one major issue with the video. From the quality of the clip, it looked like it was taken with a mobile phone. Can someone confirm if this is the case?
Working on the assumption that it is indeed a mobile phone clip, I have a strong suspicion that it could have been faked. I checked the timeline for video camera phones and the technology was pretty primitive back in 2002 (the year which the video was purportedly made).
For example, Nokia's first cameraphone the 7650 was introduced in Q2/Q3 2002 and it captured photos in only 640x480 pixels with very poor contrast and sound. The quality of the youtube clip, while not ideal, is definitely taken with a higher end cameraphone.
Another problem is that the capacity for phone memory cards back in 2002 was quite small (if I'm not mistaken, it probably tops out at 64MB). I doubt that there is one that can store up to 14 minutes of high-quality video. Quick calculation- assume video is at 150kbps: 14 mins of video = 14 x 60 x 150 = 126 MB
Of course, I'm fully prepared to stand corrected if I've made a mistake with some of the numbers above.
JEFF OOI says: In 2002, when the recording was taken, the in-thing caneraphonethen was Nokia 3650 and Nokia 7650 (please Google for the specs) giving you 265K pixel sensor, and SD card was at its infancy with 64Mb and 128MB as the standard storage size. Judging from the length of video clip, it was highly impossible for the cameraphone at that time to capture the video at such quality. A handheld videocam was more likely as cameraphone then also had.auto-cut for shooting time.
Posted by: Sick Dog![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 20, 2007 02:11 AM
But Jeff, didn't you heave a sigh of relief like I did? Come on, now we all know that it is an Indian guy who rules the judiciary and the Malay CJ bows to an Indian guy! Now, with the judiciary under the watchful eyes of this Indian guy, surely it cannot be all that bad can it?
Oh, by the way, considering we all knew all along that what we had was a bunch of monkeys sitting high up in the judiciary I cannot understand what the excitement is all about right now. So what is so shocking about a video that only affirms what I already "knew" all along? Ok la, I did not know that there was a video and a recording.
Posted by: Observer![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 20, 2007 08:38 AM
Why so much problems lah!
Just privatise the judicary and the police then no problems.
Posted by: mickl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 20, 2007 02:41 PM