SAVE JUDICIARY: Lawyers to march to Putrajaya
Sep 26: From Palace of Justice to PM's Office
THE SHOCK-A-LINGAM TAPE. The Bar Council emergency meeting today called for a royal commission to look into the rot in the judiciary since 1988.
"In the meeting, the general feeling of Council members is one of outrage, and Council members felt that it is now in the national interest that members of the Bar rally together to save the judiciary," Bar Council reported on its official website soon after the meeting.
Two events will take place in the following weeks:
September 26, 2007 (Wednesday): The Putrajaya March
A Bar Council-sponsored March from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya will be held on the coming Cabinet Meeting Day.The Purpose: To give a memo to the Cabinet calling for the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate issues jeopardising the Judiciary.
The March:
- 09:00am: Chartered buses to leave Bar Council (for those who need transport)
- 11.00am: Meet at the staircase of Palace of Justice.
- Attire: Black-and-white attire, with jacketThe march is open to the Public to take part.
Also read: People's Parliament on this.
October 6, 2007 (Saturday): Bar Council EGM
At the meeting today, the council also ruled that an emergency general meeting (EGM) would be held for its members at 3pm on Oct 6 at the Legend Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.The main purpose of the meeting is on the state of the judiciary.
Abdullah: 'No need Commission of Inquiry'
September 19, former Deputy Prime Minister released an explosive video clip which showed one lawyer brokering the appointment of judges with the present Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the question of setting up a Commission of Inquiry did not arise as the allegations in the Lingam video clip had yet to be proven as authentic.
Abdullah also threatened that if investigations revealed that the claims were false, action would be taken against those who were trying to undermine the judiciary.
Earlier, his deputy, Najib Razak said the authenticity of the video footage had to be determined first before the Government could decide on any action.
Responding to this, the Bar Council said it was disappointed with the official responses that sought to divert attention to the whistleblower, and threaten possible action against such person should the allegations turn out to be untrue. Quote Malaysiakini:
“To do so at this stage casts serious doubts on the willingness of the authorities to properly and impartially investigate the matter,” Ambiga said.“It will instead be a case of shooting the messenger.”
She said that any hint of impropriety in the judiciary must be investigated swiftly and in a thorough and transparent manner, so that the public was assured that there was no cover up.
“The Bar Council calls upon the government to immediately appoint a royal commission of inquiry into the incident and into the state of the judiciary,” she added.
“Let us find out what really went on (and goes on) in the judiciary. Let us not continue to be in a state of denial,” she said.
She said that many questions raised by the video cry out for answers. Quote:
“It underscores the need for a judicial commission. If there is no truth in the allegations or inferences arising out of the video, then the parties concerned must be vindicated,” she said.
“If there is truth in the allegations (or in some of them), stern and appropriate action must follow,” she stressed.
She also said that the response of Ahmad Fairuz yesterday that he has no comment was “unacceptable but telling”.
She added that the council also felt that disciplinary charges should be levelled against lawyer VK Lingam for his role in ‘judge fixing’ as shown in the video clip.
TI presidents, past and present, call for independent commission
Yesterday, two former Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) presidents -- Param Cumaraswamy and Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim -- lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency against Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz over allegations of corruption and professional misconduct found in a poison-pen letter which surfaced two months ago.
SOURCE: Malaysiakini.tv
Today, TI-M formally joined the Bar Council in calling for an independent commission to probe the video clip.
The clip "calls to question the independence of the judiciary" and "cries out for explanations and accountability to the Malaysian public," said TI-M president Dr Ramon Navaratnam in a statement.
"The integrity, accountability and transparency of our government and the judiciary will be open to speculation and even erosion of public confidence if this video clip is not treated with the seriousness and utmost priority that it deserves," Ramon said.
Kit Siang is convinced
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang is convinced that, in the video, senior lawyer VK Lingam was chatting with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim. He listed out several reasons for this conclusion.
Quote Malaysiakini:
The most obvious being that although two days have passed since the video clip was exposed, there has been pin drop silence from both Lingam and Ahmad Fairuz.“It would be the first reaction of anyone to a doctored video clip,” he said. “But Ahmad Fairuz has been in ex-communicado for the past two days, although he would have no difficulty accessing the video on the Internet.”
He said the person Lingam spoke to was referred to as ‘Datuk' and there were talks of the person getting a ‘Tan Sri-ship' in the same year.
Lim pointed out that Ahmad Fairuz was awarded the Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in June 2002, making him a Tan Sri.
The video clip, revealed by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, was said to have been recorded in 2002.
Lim also noted that there were references making "Datuk Heliliah, Datuk Ramli and Datuk Maroop" as judges.
On Feb 8, 2002, former solicitor-general Heliliah Mohd Yusuf, former chief registrar Ramly Aliand, former commissioner of law revision Ahmad Maarop received their letters of appointment as High Court judges from the King. Their appointments were from Feb 1, 2002.
There was also reference that "in three months time" the person, whom Lingam was talking to, would be made Court of Appeal president and "six months time" he was going to be chief justice.
Ahmad Fairuz was sworn in as Court of Appeal president on Dec 1, 2002 and appointed chief justice on March 17, 2003.
It is noteworthy to highlight that Ahmad Fairuz was appointed Court of Appeal president in December 2002 - months after the telephone conversation. Dzaiddin stepped down as CJ in 2003 and he was replaced by Ahmad Fairuz. Mokhtar, however, could not take the No 3 post as he was in coma after suffering from a fall in August 2002. He died in 2003. Ahmad Fairuz' term as CJ will end in October 2007.
More quotes from Malaysiakini on today's Bar Council emergency meeting::
Speaking to reporters after the two-hour meeting, Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said the Bar, representing 12,000 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, would be submitting a memorandum to the prime minister next Wednesday calling for the royal commission.She said that the task of the commission would be to look into the state of the judiciary since the unceremonious sacking of the then Lord President Salleh Abas in 1988.
Many critics have claimed that the judiciary has been on a free fall since then.
Ambiga also said that the council would propose that the commission, if formed by the government, should comprise of former senior judges and lawyers.
Comments
When the devil comes a calling let the just and righteous stand steadfast. The devil only takes its own. Behind him is Almighty God.
Posted by: joehancl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 22, 2007 07:47 PM
WAH! This is most amazing and gladdens my heart!
Reminds me of Martin Luther King and his March on Washington. "I have a dream"!
Perhaps Tun Salleh Abas will be there to lead the walk?
Perhaps now I can dream of a strong, respected and independant Judiciary!
Posted by: Leithaisor![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 22, 2007 09:36 PM
this is what i predict will happen ...
1) after thorough investigation it was found that the video clip submitted is not original
2) in order for further authentication verification, anwar has to submit the real/original clip in order to build a case
3) if anwar submitted, the whistleblower will be in deep shit as he/she can be put under interogation, ISA, OSA etc etc ... the end result will still the same - the clip was not original ... who are you to argue with govn if they claim it's not authenticate?
4) if anwar refuse to submit, then case close ...
5) business as usual
it's as easy as that dude ...
cheers ...
Posted by: StockTube![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 22, 2007 11:32 PM
this is so unbelievable I burst my lung out laughing.
Instead of saying, i dont know, that if this video is proven to be true, those accused will be punished with a severe punishment, our beloved PM threatened that if investigations revealed that the claims were false, action would be taken against those who were trying to undermine the judiciary.
now dont just stop there. At least pretend to set up a commission or something and drag the issue long enough hoping in the near future another issue will be controversial enough to bury this. And when all dust is cleared, have the commission releases a report saying the sound and image quality in the video are too blurry, thus resulting in insufficient evidence to make any conviction.
Mr PM, your hypocrisy is so grossly unsubtle I actually think it might work.
:-)
Posted by: alvin woon![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 22, 2007 11:38 PM
Adakah tragedi kehakiman yang terpapar dlm video si Lingam nih mampu dan cukup kuat untuk menjadi momentum sehingga terjadinya Hartal?
Tahniah kepada para peguam yang sedang memulakan langkah ke arah mengajak rakyat turun ke jalan pada minggu depan. Katanya, semua rakyat Malaysia dijemput menyertai perhimpunan itu.
Harapan besar untuk melihat inisiatif para peguam ini akan disahut oleh setiap rakyat sebagai cabaran dan dorongan untuk kita mencapai perubahan demokratik berlangsung di negara ini.
Malang dan sayang sekali, jika usaha para peguam ini dipandang sepi oleh semua, termasuk NGO2, parti2, dan rakyat Malaysia.
Cukuplah kita ditipu selama 50 tahun. Politikus-politikus jahat itu sudah kehabisan masa dan kini bukan masa untuk mengharap dan berkompromi dengan mereka lagi.
Tegakkan kuasa rakyat!
~Rakyat itu Raja, Raja itu Rakyat~
Posted by: arifabdull![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 12:08 AM
Every single time some damaging information comes to light, the first thing we see from the incumbents is threats against the whistleblowers.
To be frank, it's downright pathetic. Whether or not the allegations are true, this kneejerk reflex to levy threats at their accusers makes the people in government look like a pack of foolish little children who have no confidence in their ability to defend themselves with facts. Are they completely blind to how ridiculous they are making themselves look?
Posted by: unu![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 04:02 AM
We must return ourselves to be a nation of God-fearing people. Be good and do good to others as this is what God wants. Pray for God's blessing and wisdom unto our nation and for our rulers and government.
"For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." - 1 Peter 2:15
Posted by: RoadCyclist![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 07:40 AM
Fairuz..no comment? Hell.. you have been implicated in so many news reports and blogs.
SUE them if you are not the person on the other end of the line.
How do you answer your children, and your children's children if they ask you are you the other person on the line?
"no comment"?
Posted by: art chan![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 08:21 AM
Yes, now is the time for reversal! Reverse the course of justice. Turn the tables on the unjust.
Posted by: joshua![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 08:25 AM
I agree with StockTube's prediction of what will happen to the tape. In order to preempt that may I suggest that the person having the tape to submit a copy each to known experts overseas e.g. Japan, Germany, USA, etc requesting for their expert opinion on the authenticity of the tape and make their finding on youtube.
Posted by: aPanaMa![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 09:54 AM
PERHAPS our UMNO president and PM will not flee to australia and take some valid actions.
Posted by: joehancl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 12:44 PM
Jeff,
It's just disappointing yet again to see the response of this corrupt government days after the release of this clip. One ferla says "No comment", another says "Investigate AS SOON AS POSSIBLE". The best one yet is "The video clip merely shows a telephone conversation between the lawyer and another person. We don’t know exactly what they are talking about." MY GOD! What is SO WRONG WITH OUR MINISTERS?
Their skin is 10 feet thick to the extent they feel absolutely no shame in what they are saying or doing. They are more concerned with meting our sentences on policemen who have not asked for permission for taking another wife rather than stopping the rot and improving the country's rotten integrity! What's left for us Malaysian?
Posted by: Deepblue_dude![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 12:50 PM
Kuasa Rakyat, pasti menang!
Posted by: arifabdull![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 01:09 PM
Kuasa Rakyat, pasti menang!
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Myanmar.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Posted by: arifabdull![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 23, 2007 01:10 PM