Who would you believe if you were I?

Last Friday, retired Supreme Court judge Azmi Kamaruddin, one of 6 former judges who were payed ex-gratia sums by the government in relation to their treatment during the judicial crisis of 1988, made the following statement about why, in his view, Dr M had amended Article 121(1) of the Federal Constitution in 1988.

“I felt that he wanted to rule like a dictator. He (Mahathir) was already the head of legislature (and) he wanted the judiciary to be under his control as well. That was his intention. I’m sorry to say but Mahathir is actually very clever in killing two birds with one stone. I say that because what he did was very clever in a sense because he wanted to amend the constitution and have the judiciary under him,”

You can read the Malaysiakini report HERE.

Yesterday, NST online reported that Dr M, responding to Azmi’s statement, said :

“I am very saddened by Azmi’s statement. Immediately after receiving money, he opens his mouth against me. If this is not bribery, what else can it be?”

Everyone knows Dr M.

Not many, though, may know Azmi or of him.

I, too, do not know Azmi personally, having only encountered the man in court on two occasions.

Let me share my experience on those two occasions.

One month after being called to the Bar, I was in the Supreme Court, appearing for an Appellant.

You can well imagine how nervous I was.

Azmi was one of three judges hearing the appeal.

Midway through my submissions, he interrupted me to say something like this :

“Young man, I’ve not seen you here before. I assume this is your first appearance in this court. We are not rushing you, so do not rush yourself in your submissions. We will give you all the time you need”.

And give me time they did.

5 years later, the Federal Court was sitting in Johor Baru. Azmi was one of the three judges. I appeared, with my opponent on Monday, only to be told to come back on Wednesday, as the court would be hearing other matters on that and the following day.

On Wednesday, we were told that a case that had started on Tuesday was still continuing and so we were to come back on Thursday.

Come back on Thursday we did. That case from Tuesday was still continuing.

By the time they finished and the court was ready to hear us, it was almost 4pm and we were told that the judges would not be sitting the following day.

The judge chairing the quorum, Chong Siew Fai, asked me how long the appeal would take as all three judges were due to catch the evening flight back to KL. Before I could answer, Azmi leaned across to Chong and whispered something, whereafter, Azmi turned to me and said :

“Please proceed, Encik Haris. We will hear you and Mr________ even if we have to miss our flight.”

They heard my opponent and I until almost 6.30pm and the three judges missed their flight back to KL.

That is the Justice Azmi Kamaruddin that I know.

The Gazer of Navels, too, has something to say on this HERE.