The People’s Parliament

Yup, the walk’s been cancelled.

Was planning to be there.

Was looking forward to taking a slow leisurely stroll down Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and take in how modernity has been blended with pre-war architecture?

Know what I mean?

Don’t know about you, but it’s been ages for me.

Just can’t stand the traffic jam there on weekdays.

Okay, so there’s no walk. Since I’m going to be in KL anyway, I’ll probably still just take that stroll this Sunday.

Yup, early enough to avoid the Sunday shopping crowd.

Know what I mean?

You KLites ought to know. Would 8am be early enough to avoid the Sunday shopping crowd?

Do let me know.

The VK Lingam video and his brother’s police reports have shown how deep into that dark black hole the judiciary has fallen.

The government went on a dance about the authenticity of the tape and appointed a 3-man panel to verify the authenticity, instead of heeding the call of civil society to appoint a royal commission of inquiry to look into the depressing state of the judiciary.

The 3-man panel vindicated the civil society call : all 3 panel members also recommended the establishment of a rci and found the video to be authentic.

The government has still not made public the 3 separate reports of the 3 panel members.

The government has announced that it will establish the rci.

The government has not made known the terms of reference of the proposed rci.

The government has not made known the appointees to the proposed rci.

Malaysiakini reports today that the PM has announced that Hamid Mohamed has been confirmed as the new Chief Justice.  

                                                                                                                                                           From Malaysiakini

After almost 40 years in the judicial service, Hamid is probably the most qualified in the Federal Court to head the judiciary.

Hamid’s stint, though, will probably be very short. He will reach retirement age in April next year and, if extended for 6 months, which has become the norm except, thankfully, in the case of Fairuz, should retire latest by end October or in November next year.

So who takes over when Hamid finally retires?

Who’s next?

The next most senior?

Zaki Azmi, Malaysiakini reports, is going to be the new President of the Court of Appeal, taking Hamid’s place.   

                                                                                                                                                                 From Malaysiakini

If one of the criticisms of Fairuz’s appointment as CJ since the revelations in the VK Lingam is that he had only written in all, 7 judgments as a High Court judge prior to his elevation, Zaki has, to my knowledge, not written any.

Which is understandable given Zaki’s hop, step and jump into the Federal Court in September this year.

Check out the judiciary members directory from the judiciary website HERE.

Let me reproduce below the Federal Court directory which, unless I’m mistaken, ranks the judges according to seniority.

1. The Honourable Dato’ Arifin bin Zakaria
    DPCM , DPMK, SPSK

2. The Honourable Dato’ Bentara Istana Dato’ Nik Hashim bin Nik Ab. Rahman
    Dato’ Bentara Istana, SPSK, SIMP, DSMZ, DPMK, DPMT, ASM, KMN

3. The Honourable Dato’ Sri Augustine Paul a/l Sinnappen
    SSAP, SIMP, DSAP, DIMP, DMSM, KMN, PKT 

4. The Honourable Dato’ Abdul Aziz bin Mohamad
    DPMT, ASM, KMN

5. The Honourable Dato’ Haji Hashim bin Dato’ Haji Yusoff
    SPSK, DPMK, KMN

6.The Honourable Dato’ Azmel bin Haji Maamor
     DSNS, PPT

7. The Honourable Dato’ Zulkefli bin Ahmad Makinudin
     DPMP, SMJ, PIS

8. The Honourable Tan Sri Dato’ Zaki bin Tun Azmi
    PSM, PJN, DSMT, DSDK, JSM, KMN

The implication of Zaki’s appointment is that notwithstanding his not having a single written judgment to his credit and not even completed 6 months on the Bench ( usually the probationary term in many other industries ), he has been picked over 7 others far more senior than he to be the CJ-in-waiting.

Why?

What gives?

Were we not supposed to be straightening out the judiciary?

If true, the 7 Federal Court judges more senior than Zaki should do the honourable thing and resign.

Something odd about the Malaysiakini report, though.

It states : ‘The King, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, has consented to the appointment of the duo on the advice of the prime minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a statement. Abdullah said that Abdul Hamid’s appointment took effect on Nov 1 while Zaki’s would be decided later’.

My question.

If the Agong has consented to the appointment of both and Hamid’s has been decided to take effect on 1st November, why could not the effective date of Zaki’s appointment, too, be fixed?

Don’t forget that the Agong and the Conference of Rulers declined to appoint two nominees of Fairuz for the office of President of the Court of Appeal and the CJ of Malaya.

Don’t forget that the Agong and the Conference of Rulers declined to give Fairuz his extension.

Don’t forget that Sultan Azlan Shah recently advocated a return to the practise of old of promotions based on seniority.

Yet I’m now told that my Agong and the Conference of Rulers have agreed to bypass 7 other more senior Federal Court judges, have appointed a man barely 3 months on the Bench, but have not fixed the effective date of his appointment?

I don’t buy this.

Something stinks.  

See also : Jeff Ooi

Anak Bangsa Malaysia Mohd Noor had family and friends over at his house for fellowship and food for Saffron Sunday.

Mohd Noor’s youngest daughter, Afifah, aged 12 ( extreme left in the photo above. Her Dad is in the pink t-shirt ),             e-mailed me and said :

Last sunday my family n friends were having saffron sunday gathering at my house compound. I also have read ur blog about saffron sunday.Saffron sunday is the symbol of love,hope n solidarity.Saffron sunday is the night truely malaysians  who love peace n dare stand up their  right.That night  nation wide were  light candle  express their support 4  the said intention.Hopefully god will guide us.                         

Afifah sent me these photos of their Saffron Sunday.

Mohd Noor wrote :

Salam bro! We had a very meaningful gathering,`Saffron Sunday`, thanks for your initiative. I`m sure Malaysians, who love peace, justice and  stand for their right are very proud of you. Keep it up bro! Even though a small number of us,15 supposed to be 30 but we managed to end with positive note.

9 of us got to YB Donald Lim’s service centre in PJ at 10pm last night.

Meeting started about 10.35 and went on until almost 12.15am this morning.

It was frank and often hard-hitting. Everyone spoke their mind.

As a group we made two things very clear.

First, we were tired of and wanted an end to race-based politics. Our next vote would not be based on a party symbol but for an individual who stood for the same issues and concerns that we did.

Second, that we wanted YB Lim to break rank and vote against the bill to amend the Constitution to extend the tenure of EC Rashid by another year. We stressed that how he voted on this bill would significantly dictate how we voted next time round.

We also got feedback from YB Lim on the 3 issues we had raised with him at the last meeting.

• Bangsa Malaysia, the aspiration of one people, one nation
• our secular system of government and its seeming erosion
• the establishment of the IPCMC.

Personally, the two meetings have been extremely satisfying for me.

I now know my present MP, the limitations within which he has to work and what he can and cannot do.

And I have a clearer picture now about how I must go about deciding on my representative in Parliament next time round.

Conclusions drawn from the meetings?

I am going to let the members of this group think over the matters discussed and the feedback from the MP, perhaps brainstorm over the same, and then share their thoughts with you, if they will, at a press conference. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank YB Lim for making time to see us.

The meeting ended most cordially.