Lingam video-maker says court committed sedition

Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo-Burne, who was behind the lens of the infamous Datuk VK Lingam video clip, questioned today if the Court of Appeal had acted seditiously in allowing an appeal against the 2007 Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Loh told reporters outside his service centre today that it was outrageous for the court to grant leave to Lingam and two retired top judges to challenge the findings of a commission sanctioned by the King himself.

“How could you bring to court something that was discovered by a Royal Commission? Does it not defeat the purpose of the commission which, by virtue of it being a ‘royal commission’ was endorsed by the King?” he said.

Loh added that this seemed tantamount to sedition, adding that he wondered if any action could be taken in the matter.

“I am baffled by this. Are you saying that all of a sudden, it is fine now to challenge the authority of the King? The court has insulted the King’s authority here,” he said.

Loh also pointed out that since the case itself had already been shelved, supposedly on grounds of insufficient evidence, it made little sense now for the commission’s findings to be challenged in court.

“They did not want to prosecute anyone before, and now suddenly, they think it is sensible to allow the culprits in the case to challenge the commission’s findings? It is confusing... mind-bending,” he said.

The Court of Appeal granted leave today to Lingam and the two retired top judges – former Lord president Tun Eusoff Chin and former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim – to seek a review of the 2007 commission which had investigated their roles in allegedly brokering judicial appointments.

The Court of Appeal panel of judges comprising Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud, Datuk Mohd Hishamuddin Mohd Yunus and Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim announced today that their decision was by majority of two to one.

On December 12, 2008, the KL High Court dismissed the three appelant’s bid for leave to review the RCI’s findings and suggestions to prosecute Lingam and further probe the two ex-top judges and three other individuals, notably Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Lingam had been implicated in the judge-fixing scandal after Loh’s video recording of him apparently negotiating the appointment of judges was released to the public.

The video subsequently became the centre of an investigation by the commission.

The royal commission had proposed that action be taken against Lingam and several others purportedly involved in the recording including Eusoff, Ahmad Fairuz and tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, a close friend of Dr Mahathir.

DAP chairman and lawyer Karpal Singh had earlier today also said that the Court of Appeal had been wrong in its decision to challenge the commission’s findings.

He said that instead, action should have been taken to act on the commission’s recommendations and findings.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider