Thursday June 12, 2008

Mahathir: I will respond in due time

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he will refrain from commenting on the revelations made by High Court judge Justice Datuk Ian Chin for now.

He said in his blog that he would do so “in due time”.

“However, I am quite curious about what Ian Chin considers as veiled threats. Perhaps he could be more specific, as his allegations are very serious,” Dr Mahathir said.

Meanwhile, Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam said judges should emulate Justice Chin’s recent action should the situation demand.

He said Justice Chin’s actions demonstrated the integrity of the judiciary system.

“Let us hope that this is the start of a more transparent, independent and impartial Malaysian Judiciary,” Vijayaratnam said in a statement.

UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Datuk Param Cumaraswamy said other judges who could have faced intimidation should also speak up.

Those who received undeserved promotions, he added, should resign.

“Since 1988, judges have been in a state of intimidation. In other democratic systems, the intimidator would have been impeached and removed,” he said in a statement.

Param said there were still a few judges who received “leapfrog promotions” and they should be ashamed of themselves.

“Their continuing to remain in the system tarnishes the integrity of the judiciary,” he said.

Meanwhile, DAP chairman Karpal Singh lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police station yesterday against Dr Mahathir over what he said were allegations of him threatening judges.