Hanif panel hampered by poor response

PUTRAJAYA, June 18 — Putrajaya’s Bersih 3.0 investigative panel has only received one response so far since it called for voluntary witnesses three weeks ago, likely owing to the perception that its probe would be biased.

According to a panel secretariat member, the only person who had agreed to come forward voluntarily was theSun’s special and investigative reporting editor R. Nadeswaran, who testified this morning.

“No one else so far, not since we issued the press statement calling for members of the public to come forward,” the member told reporters after today’s hearing at JW Marriot, Putrajaya.

Aside from Nadeswaran, two journalists — theSun’s Pauline Wong and this writer who was present at the hotel this morning to cover the hearing — were asked if they would be willing to testify. Both agreed to do so.

But apart from the trio, The Malaysian Insider understands that the panel would have to issue special invites to other witnesses instead of waiting for them to come forward.

Despite the less-than-enthusiastic response, however, panel chairman Tun Hanif Omar(picture) insisted that this would not hamper the probe.

“We did not get many public responses... not too many of that. But so far, it has not hampered the panel...

“There are things to deal with first to get the picture on both sides. We will listen to both sides.

“We have also identified certain persons whom we want to call,” he said.