'I did not sack Salleh Abbas' - Mahathir prepared to swear on Quran

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he is willing to swear on the Quran that he was not responsible for the sacking of former Lord President Salleh Abbas that foreshadowed the constitutional crisis of 1988.

At the soft launch of the "Harapan Baru; Policy Talks" question-and-answer sessions at Putrajaya today, Mahathir reiterated that the then attorney-general had used his name to sack Salleh to save the good name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"Salleh was sacked not because of me. Unfortunately, in order to save the good name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong then, my name was used as though I had given the instruction to sack Salleh but I didn't interfere in the matter.

"I am willing to enter the mosque and swear on the Quran that I didn't give any such instruction. Salleh said that I had instructed his sacking but it was the Agong who gave the instruction," he added.

Mahathir said the incident had stemmed from a letter written by Salleh Abbas (photo) to the Agong and Malay rulers allegedly complaining about the level of noise from renovation works at the Agong's private residence.

"But now, of course the letter has been hidden," said the ex-premier.

In an interview with Malaysiakini last year, former attorney-general Abu Talib Othman said a meeting held among judges from the Supreme and High Courts had decided that the then lord president Salleh Abbas should make a representation to the Agong, complaining of purported 'attacks' by the executive on the judiciary.

The meeting was held after Mahathir submitted several constitutional amendments to Parliament, divesting the courts of the 'judicial power of the Federation' and thereby giving the courts only such judicial powers as Parliament might grant them.

In a letter addressed to the Agong, which was written by Salleh himself, the judges expressed their grievances over the executive's actions against the judiciary.

"That complaint seemed to have caused the displeasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Iskandar.

"He then referred that memorandum from Salleh to the prime minister with a command that appropriate action be taken on the basis of the complaint," said Abu Talib.

A tribunal was subsequently convened which saw the removal of Abbas and two other judges. A second tribunal convened a while later saw the suspension of five judges and the subsequent sacking of two of them.

[More to follow]

- Mkini