Haidar submits Lingam Tape report to Agong
Malaysiakini.com
May 9, 2008 
Soon Li Tsin

Royal commission of inquiry into the controversial VK Lingam video clip chairperson Haidar Mohamed Noor personally thinks the report on the findings should be made public.
MCPX

lingam royal commission 181207 haidarHe said this after submitting the four volume report during an hour long audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the Istana Negara this morning.

"Personally I think the report should be made public. However, that is not for me to decide. The last word is still with the Prime Minister.

"But we did not suggest to PM to make it public, it is up to him," he said.

In January, former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar led a five-member commission to investigate the controversial video clip allegedly showing lawyer Lingam brokering judicial appointments with former chief justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim over the telephone.

According the Haidar, the month long hearing resulted in a four volume, 186-paged report with four recommendations.

"There are four recommendations according to us. What they are, I cannot say, but all the findings from the five commissioners are in the report," he said.

However he denied any truth in a New Straits Times report that said the commission had made observations on several witnesses for "further action by enforcement agencies and the Attorney-General's Chambers".

"That is not true but I don't want to say anything more. But I can say we are satisfied with the report," he laughed without elaborating further.

Agong's reaction was good

Asked what was the Agong's reaction to the report, Haidar said he was smiling and appeared happy with it.

royal commission on lingam tape members terms of reference merged 140108"Oh he was smiling and laughing because commissioner Mahadev (Shankar) was telling him some jokes. I think the Agong was happy with the report," he said.

Haidar was also quizzed as to why the commission needed a two-month extension to come up with the report.

"It was voluminous. We had to go through more than thousand pages of evidence and submissions. There were so many lawyers and people involved and they all submitted so many documents.

"We had good cooperation between the commissioners and a helpful, hardworking secretariat that stayed back until late at night to work on the report. I'm very grateful to them," he said.

The commission, made up of Haidar with former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Shim Lip Kiong, former Court of Appeal judge Mahadev, former Solicitor-General Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh and historian Professor Dr Khoo Kay Kim, conducted the inquiry for 17 days with 21 witnesses called.

These high-profile witnesses included Lingam, Ahmad Fairuz, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, former chief justice Eusoff Chin and tycoon Vincent Tan.

Copy to be given to the premier

It was a game of cat-and-mouse this morning when reporters, who arrived at the royal home as early as 7.30am, failed to catch Haidar leaving through the main gate as they were told by palace police officers that the commissioners were exiting through the back entrance.

As reporters waited there, two other commissioners - Shim and Zaitun left separately without stopping to give any comments.

Soon after, commission secretary Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid who was the last to leave told the press that Haidar had left through the main gate on Jalan Istana.

He also revealed that he is on his way to submit the royal commission's report to premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who will be presenting the document to the cabinet for a decision to made soon.

Haidar when contacted through his handphone sounded amused and said he did wonder where the press was when he left but obliged to provide several details concerning the report when asked.

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