Friday, October 31, 2008

‘Boot camp’ judge resigns

A High Court judge who revealed the existence of a boot camp for judges back in 1997 has tendered his resignation and will leave office on Dec 1.

Datuk Ian Chin wrote a letter to the King on July 16 to resign and went on leave on Aug 21.

Chin: Went on leave on Aug 21

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T. Murugiah said this in reply to Tian Chua (PKR - Batu) who asked whether the Government had taken steps to investigate the accusations made by Chin against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

With Chin’s resignation, there was no need to investigate the matter, said Murugiah.

Earlier, Murugiah told Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (BN - Jerlun) that the Government did not intend to make representation to the King to put Chin before a tribunal.

On July 15, several MPs, while debating on the Judges Remuneration (Amendment) Bill, criticised Chin in the Dewan Rakyat over his war of words with Dr Mahathir.

Some questioned his revelation, made only after Dr Mahathir had stepped down, and some called for him to be sacked for being “judicially immature”.

It prompted Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia to intervene. He asked Karpal Singh to read out Article 127 of the Federal Constitution and Parliament’s Standing Order 36(8) to remind MPs not to debate on judges’ behaviour unless a substantive motion was moved with the consent of 55 MPs.

In June, Chin caused a stir when he claimed that Dr Mahathir had made a thinly veiled threat against judges at the Judges Conference on April 24, 1997.

He claimed Dr Mahathir had threatened to sack judges who failed to deliver judgments to his or the Government’s liking.

Chin had also said that Dr Mahathir was dissatisfied over his unwillingness to award astronomical sums in damages in two libel suits in 1997, and that “errant” judges had been sent to a boot camp in an “attempt to indoctrinate them to hold the view that the Government’s interest was more important than all else”.

Dr Mahathir, in his blog, said the judges were never sent to a boot camp

‘Boot camp’ judge resigns
Malaysia Star, Malaysia

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