Monday, April 21, 2008

Did Judges Boycott last Thursday's dinner?

"We were NOT invited," say Judges.
It hit me while the PM was reading out his speech on renewing trust in the judiciary last Thursday: Where were the Judges?

Only two of the "Big Four" were there, both at the main table - the CJ and the President of the Courts of Appeal.

500 or more guests in the hall - including KJ and 4th Floor boy Zaki - and none of our judges were there.

How come?

I learnt over the weekend that the judges were NOT invited to the dinner hosted by the Bar Council and paid for by the Government.

The Judges are furious. They were only told about the proposed Commission the week before the dinner, towards the end of the Conference of Judges in KL.

"Zaid Ibrahim, the de facto Law Minister, attended our Conference. You'd think he would have the courtesy of telling us Judges about the JAC and the dinner," one Judge told me.

Another Judge wondered about "hidden agenda".

"We were told it'd be an 11-member Commission based on a 4:5:2 composition: the big four judges, five from the Bar Council, and two others.

"Five from the Bar? And they didn't think Judges should be consulted on the proposed reforms of the Judiciary or the formation of the Comission? What's happening here?"

Zaid will have some explaining to do. If not, the PM could well be on the way to creating a new crisis in the judiciary instead of renewing the trust in the system.

40 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:59 am

    Of course, there will definitely be another fcrisis in the judiciary becausethe Marriot dinner was just an exercise to divert attetntion from the problems of Pak Lah and also to derail the strong faction in UMNO udner Tun M to oust Pak Lah.

    Why the 4th Floor had to isntruct Bar Council President and her kuncu-kuncu (Lim Chee Wee), the new pupets, to organise a dinner in Marriot but paid by the Government. If this is not a conspiracy what is?

    Why can't the government organise their own dinner and made whatever announcemtns they think appropriate? But they cannot do it becaueit lacks credibility. SO the 4th Floor boys had to get the Bar Council Presidnet and her kuncu-kuncu to host the dinner in a haste thinking htat nobody will know about the bill will be paid by the government.

    By 15th April Ambiga knew that she can no longer cover up about the government is paying for the dinner bill. The reason beiong that the Bar Council is running out of fund - in fact it has no now. So she did a by the way announcement in the Bar Council website to cover herself.

    Up to now Ambiga and her kuncu-kuncu did not make any announcement in the MSM that the government paid for the dinner in Marriot. WHY??

    Further, I heard that not all lawyers were invited. Only the selected lawyers and non-lawyers were invited. Many senior lawyers were left out. Why was KJ invited? He is not a lawyer, irrelevant figure to the Bar except that he is the SIL of the PM.

    There are many questions to be asked from this Marriot dinner whcih was organised in such haste and secrecy.

    There is no sincerity in the Pak Lah administration to put thing right in the judiciary. The 4th Floor boys were just making use of Tun Salleh Abas and the other sacked Supreme Court Judges for their political objectives. And the Bar Council under Ambiga consented! Amen!

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  2. Anonymous4:56 am

    Rocky,
    I've been telling you all the while - these are desperate times for AAB, SIL&Co. And desperate people do desperate things, including getting their timing & priority screwed up! Now we all can see the 'hidden agenda', as well as the 'screwed up' thinking of this particular oxbridge SIL (and his accomplice, Zaid Ibrahim)... trying to fire a desperate salvo at TDM only to get himself and FIL hit in their a**es! All these times the agenda of the bar council is also clear... its the last straw, I don't have any more respect for the bar council (or rather the people who run it) anymore! Also, as 'A Voice' mentioned in his latest posting, Salleh Abas' SIL Shah Hakim's complication in Scomi is a point to ponder on the purpose of the last minute dinner as well? The whole thing smells s***! What a circus in the name of delivering justice! Do these clowns think Malaysians can be easily deceived?

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  3. Anonymous5:51 am

    Oh, oh...here comes the road blocks due to inconsiderate planning.

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  4. Anonymous6:16 am

    Zaid was hoping to invite the 5 judges but again not inviting Lingam whom is actually their big boss is not right and so eventually he just drop the idea. Nothing very serious actually, be cool.

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  5. If our Judges were not invited in fact our Judges should have been the first to be "called" on ...not just invited & including retired Judges....especially since they were victims....500 guests & no Judges?.....Rocky..how can we verify this? Damn,Damn,Damn!!
    jeyapalantsmahesan.blogspot.com
    jeyapalanmahesan@netscape.net

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  6. Anonymous6:41 am

    Abang Rocky..

    Is this for real? Judges not being invited to a dinner that was meant for the judiciary in the first place? And judges being TOLD that the commission would comprise of .... without being consulted?
    What? Does Zaid think these judges don't form part of the judiciary system?

    Let's hope someone goes and asks the people involved about how this could happen. And let's hope if the Star does it, that they'll properly reference their source.

    Michelle

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  7. Anonymous6:47 am

    I always believed Badawi would be a good prime minister which he is proving to be one. He gave us a vibrant paeliament. There's no more monopoly by one political party. Under him DSAI walked free from prison which the judges always thought he was guilty even under Dzaiddin.

    Now, SuaraKeadilan given permit. Judicail Commission for Lingam tape. Salleh Abas and five finaaly got justice though not perfect.

    And now JAC and rightly with more members from Bar since the judges/judiciary themselves are now perceived badly by the public it would be best if outsider play more active role for the bringing back the trust for a independant and transparent judiciary.

    No matter what, Badawi would be appreciated one day for all the positive things that's happening to the country. Didn't he once say Mahathir is a dictator or something like that during the Semangat 46 or team B time?

    Thank you, Prime Minister.

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  8. Another blunder in the making. We know who is the host and 2ho foot the bill but who is the organizer? Kj and Zaki's presence at the function make me think it is anothr 4th floor job.

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  9. Bro,

    The intention is good. But the timing is very bad. Will Pak Lah do the same if he got 2/3 majority?

    http://c-bok.blogspot.com

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  10. Anonymous8:19 am

    seperti kata tun mahathir ini semua adalah kerana untuk mendapat sokongan politik. kenapa sekarang? kenapa tidak sebelum keputusan pilihan raya? kenapa tidak pada 2004? sendiri mahu ingat jangan terlalu seronok.

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  11. Guess who's being invited to dinner?
    Is it only meant for saint or sinner?
    Are there too many ships among the oceanliners?
    Who'll be taken for a ride by the outriders?

    (C) SamuelGoh Kim Eng - 210408
    http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
    http://msi.Rocky101.com
    Mon. 21st April 2008.

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  12. Anonymous8:52 am

    Really...he never fail to amaze me with his utter lack of official protocol. He is like a reverse Midas 'cos everything he touches turns to lead; dead weight in whatever. w9

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  13. Anonymous9:17 am

    selamat pagi malaysia! mula hari mu dengan susu cap teko! pak lah masih tidur.

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  14. Anonymous9:36 am

    Rocky

    Looks like Zaid has just joined the bunch of idiots in the Cabinet, for all his talk and wanting to walk the talk.

    Zaid talks too much and delivers half of what he talks.

    He might one day be considered a bigger fool when he opens his mouth than when he closes it.

    We already had crowned a Village Idiot for a former defactor law minister.

    Will Zaid inherit the crown? Let see.

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  15. Anonymous10:08 am

    Looks like Mahathir is right in saying the whole thing was a political move to boost the govt's popularity.

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  16. Anonymous10:22 am

    Instead of trying to reinstate him, Tun Salleh Abas now found absolutely GUILTY!.


    hehe what a crab show by Dollah!!


    The lesson is-Don't play God.

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  17. Anonymous10:56 am

    Hahaha...kantoi lagi. I wonder who'd be having the last laugh...VK Lingam perhaps.Emm, he would make a good Commission member, after all he's being it many-many years ago. Correct-correct-correct.

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  18. Anonymous11:11 am

    Life is difficult, you can't please everyone! Every group wants more for itself, every group feels slighted with the slightest incident.

    How can the nation make any improvement if everybody is so self-centred and has such big egos.

    The rakyat deserves the type of government it gets, it deserves the type of judges it gets and it deserves the type of treatment it gets!

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  19. As TDM said in Manchester, there is no reason why the government should apologise or compensate to Salleh Abbas, for his dismissal was in accordance to the law, so there! A sham is a sham my man!

    On other matter did you know that SHAMPOO is not a real POO, it a sham get it get it!

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  20. Anonymous11:50 am

    Why wasn't the dinner held much earlier, say after the BN-UMNO triumph in GE2004? If it was held then, we have to salute the Pak Lah for his sincerity in reforming the judiciary.As it is, everyone can see that the dinner was held for a different agenda, concocted perhaps by the 4th floor boys. It was a ruse used by Pak Lah to discredit TDM in the ongoing war between the two. One side clearly sees that the judiciary rot is the Achilles heel of the other. Tun Salleh and the other judges were just pawns in the war game. The rakyat can see more drama unfolding as the war gets more intense.

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  21. Anonymous12:09 pm

    I think that there is something amiss here.

    If Zaki is promoted to CJ then we know this is all a sham

    The make up of the commission will tell us if the govt is sincere

    Some legal voices are questioning the legality of the compensation

    They were sacked following proper procedures,

    you can argue that the tribunal itself may comprise of people with vested interest and that the reason for calling it may be flawed but the fact is they were sacked by a tribunal of their peers

    If we feel that they have been wronged then the Govt should convene a similar assessment body, be it a royal commission or another tribunal...
    They can then come to the conclusion that there irregularities in the procedure, reasoning or or any other factor related to the events in question.
    They should come up with a recommendation for compensation...

    This time the PM ran roughshod over everyone, including the judciary and the Bar and they just clapped him on...

    Do you think its possible that the dinner was politically motivated??

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  22. Anonymous12:37 pm

    Intent to set things right is commendable BUT ... the execution is BLOODY poor !!

    Now, even the Bar Council is implicated.

    Ambiga was looking good but now her motives are also questionable.

    I thought this common saying should always be first and foremost in everybody's mind especially the legal fraternity - not only must you be doing right, you must be seen to be doing right, RIGHT?

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  23. Anonymous1:23 pm

    And some ppl are comparing PakLah to Gorbachev....hahahhaha...don't make me lafff.
    PakLah reforms the Judiciary..hahaha...PakLah opens up the media...hahahha...PakLah's rule is more democratic...hahahaa...
    Come la people..I've seen enuff 'not funny'jokes watching 'Last Comic Standing' don't add anymore please.
    I surely will not name my son Hishamudin for varuos reasons...
    ..hahahaha.. jangan mareh..

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  24. Anonymous3:32 pm

    Thank God you realized it finally rock! That damn KJ is more important than our Judges. Because KJ is from Oxford and our judges are not! Hail KJ!! The master of disaster!

    Btw, I've read some of a very good suggestion that this matter be brought to the Majlis Raja-Raja because PM had sidetracked the Royal decision in 1988!

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  25. Anonymous3:34 pm

    "Further, I heard that not all lawyers were invited. Only the selected lawyers and non-lawyers were invited. Many senior lawyers were left out. Why was KJ invited? He is not a lawyer, irrelevant figure to the Bar except that he is the SIL of the PM. "

    Now that is a very good question by anon.

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  26. Anonymous3:40 pm

    so funny wak segen... I always taught that Pak Lah and his rhetoric for reforms is similar to perestroika but at the end the Soviet Union collapsed and collapsed like hell. A good one wak segen!

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  27. Anonymous4:40 pm

    He, he, he ... yes the bar council has been bought.
    Bar Council is exposing her own pekungs... Rakyat and the rulers have woken up ... now the judges.

    He, hee, hee, that is People's power Malaysian Style.... POLITIKUS, YOUR DAYS OF LUXURY ARE ENDING... NO MORE BAIKI LABU !!!

    RAKYAT RULES OK !!!!

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  28. Anonymous5:48 pm

    Clean up your house Bar Council. Nip the rot right now.

    Bar members who were present at the dinner were a shame for giving AAB a standing ovation and for what?

    For exercising Umno's money politics by buying them dinner, ex-gratia in lieu of an apology and what was that proposed judicial commission again?

    Shame on you Bar Council! You are like children who are easily appeased with gula gula!

    Go rot!

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  29. why should the judges have been invited. did they fight for the salleh abbas cause? many of these judges have bben responsible for some of the most outrageous decisons in living memory in the world!!

    remember that sais aidid had accused some 40 judges of being corrupt and taking bribes.

    so, let the cupboard be cleared out before we give the learned judges due respect.

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  30. Anonymous6:47 pm

    OiC, thats the true picture yeah. So now with the 4:5:2 formula we can see lots more VK Lingam in the making. What a joke of the Century.
    Paklah Resign.

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  31. Anonymous6:50 pm

    The next even is the Government will fully fund the dinner for all those Hindraf and ISA detantion fella la. Paklah will also announce that everybody can demo freely. Singapore already got speaker corner and now Malaysia will get their Demo/rally corner (First in the world).

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  32. Anonymous7:31 pm

    We need to return to basics.

    Our Federal Constitution was instituted based on the Reid Commission's report during the heydays of pre Merdeka Malaya. 50 years on and our country's judiciary is so tainted with corruption and politically biased, we may just as well, in order to regain credence in the eyes of the world community, to appoint the chairman and the members of the Judicial Reform Commission from distinguished judges of the British Commonwealth and presided by a senior member of the British House of the Lords no less.

    Anything less smacks of incredulity and whitewash.

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  33. Anonymous9:00 pm

    Bro Rocky,

    As I have commented in your last blog, you have been duped by a clown called Dol.
    It was a blessingh that Tun M got rid of the idiot and dummy Tun Salleh Abas. Now you see what a 'jugde' he was and forever will be.

    I wouldnt want a dumbo leading our judiciary then, and definitely not now.

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  34. Anonymous9:06 pm

    Ooohhhhh! Please people. Dont mock the idiots. Dont compare Zaid to the idiots. Those idiots deserve better.

    Come on...

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  35. Hey Rocky's Peoples!

    I was told this afternoon that on the Bar Website , there appears to be some very very powerful against The Dinner!
    Pls Check it out
    Tq

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  36. Anonymous10:05 pm

    There's no pleasing some ppl ah? Buat Juidicial commision tak puas hati, tak buat nak vote out? C'mon lah everyone, things are moving...add pressure for more changes, no complain and try to be sour grapes lah.

    Ricky

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  37. Anonymous12:35 am

    Guess who came to dinner?
    Well, everyone except the people directly affected by the PM's message. Clearly, judicial reforms Judicial Commission, ex-gratia, payment to former Chief Justice and five other judges are NOT matters pertaining to the judiciary. Oh no. They are meant for lawyers who are well represented by their various State Bar Committees. They are meant for KJ and 4th Floor Boys. Thay are meant for VIPs who are non-lawyers. They are even meant for ex-judges who have no more judicial powers.
    The fact that the current judges in the judiciary were snubbed in a dinner paid for by the Government and hosted by lawyers who appear before them, would surely go a long way towards making the judiciary achieve "greater independence and strengthen its credibility" as the PM suggested.
    By marginalising the judges, Zaid Ibrahim believes he has a better chance at carryine out his huge mandate i.e "to reform the judiciary".
    The fact that Zaid and Ambiga came to the Judges'conference dinner just a week earlier in Putrajaya not breathing a word about this historic 17th April dinner makes one wonder why both of them felt the need to act in stealth and subterfuge.
    To announce the setting up of the Judicial Commission would be pre-empting the much-awaited Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry of the V.K Lingam tape. This is because it is very likely that the Commission of Inquiry would reccommend the setting up of a Judicial Commission in view of the improprieties apparent in the Lingam scandal, thus the question recurs - why the unseemly haste for this Judicial Commission.
    Zaid's moves showed his utter and complete disrespect for the Chief Justice and ultimately all the judges. Even if a mandate was given him by the PM, could it be true that he is so ill-bred and untutored in the ways of good governance that he chose to shoot his mouth about everything without first referring to the CJ?
    One wonders whether he even comprehend the concept of separation of powers? I suppose one can only expect such loutish behaviour from someone found guilty of and suspended for money politics by the Umno Discipline Board.
    Now, this very person who is denuded of moral authority sees it fit to tell judges appointed by the King, upon the PM's recommendation to behave themselves? That's very rich indeed!

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  38. Anonymous1:10 am

    It truly beats me that Pak Lah condones the inclusion of lawyers in the Judicial Commission. Why are lawyers determining the future of judges? The mind boggles!

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  39. Anonymous1:00 pm

    Tun Mahathir is so right... a political move by a PM who is unpopular and trying desperately to gain back support.

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  40. Anonymous10:16 pm

    To all of you who are just so obessesed with rubbishing the PM, here are the facts: even if the reforms are not perfect, even if Pak Lah leaves before the end of the year, he will still be remembered as the PM who changed the Malaysian Political landscape forever! A judical commission, An independant ACA, abolish newspaper annual renewals perhaps even review laws on student politics. Even if the changes aren't perfect ( are they ever??) Pak Lah's premiership will help to undo the damage that the Mahathir years have brought us and renew hope for my childrens future.

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