Posted on by Kit

RCI on Lingam Tape – refusal to announce Cabinet decisions today does not serve the cause of public confidence

I am very disturbed by the statement by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak last evening that there would be no immediate announcement of the Cabinet’s decisions today on the terms of reference, scope of power and membership of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape.

Najib, who will be chairing the Cabinet meeting this morning as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is in Singapore for the ASEAN Summit, must be reminded that it does not serve the cause of public confidence for the government to keep mum after the Cabinet decisions on the terms of reference and composition of the Royal Commission of Inquiry as it will only reinforce widespread anxieties and suspicions that “the leopard cannot change its skin” and that the Royal Commission of Inquiry would be so cribbed, cabined and confined by its terms of reference and scope of power that it would be quite useless in making significant contributions to end the 19-year crisis of confidence in the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

Malaysians expect the Cabinet to set an example of “first-world” and “first-class” mentality which does not make a mockery of the pledge of Abdullah to lead an administration characterized by openness, accountability, transparency and integrity.

If the Cabinet slams the Official Secrets Act on its decisionss on the Royal Commission of Inquiry today, refusing to announce them and to ban any reporting or disclosure of the Cabinet decisions, how is the Abdullah administration more open, accountable and transparent than the previous administrations? Instead, we seem to be going into reverse.

If the Cabinet this morning has taken decisions on the Royal Commission of Inquiry, then let Malaysians be informed about them without any delay or the Abdullah Cabinet will be setting a most undesirable example of being evasive and opaque instead of openness, accountability and transparency – completely antithetical to Abdullah’s pledge of wanting to lead a Malaysia with “First World Infrastructure, First-World Mentality”.

If the Cabinet fails to make public its decisions on the Royal Commission of Inquiry today, Malaysians are entitled to ask and speculate as to what the government is hiding from the nation and the world.

Or is this just another confirmation of the critique of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad of a “half-past six” Cabinet at work?

21 Replies to “RCI on Lingam Tape – refusal to announce Cabinet decisions today does not serve the cause of public confidence”

  2. Hi Mr Kit Siang, i would like to comment something which is not related to the topic you wrote. My apologies first before I proceed. And also to the rest of fellow bloggers. Not sure if any of you are following the trial in The Hague for the island Pulau Batu Puteh and 2 islands surrounding it. Its shocking as to how Msia team has lifted a picture of an independent blog http://www.leuchtturm3.blogspot.com.

    The problem now is that the picture in this blog was taken using a telephoto lense, not sure whats it is but it magnified the hill behind it to be 7 times larger to give it an impression that the island is so much closer to Msia. that was the evidence put forth by the Spore team

    This bring to mind, I thought some ministers said that blogs are full of lies. Then why lift a picture from an unknown blog for such an important case? Plus this blog only started to make its postings starting Oct.

    Okay i rest my case here. Apologies again for the divertion. Lets get back to Lingam saga……the story continues

  3. First World Mentality? Look at what is happening at Proton now – experts are predicting eventual demise of Proton without a partner and they go around telling people that they want to give time for Proton to turnaround?

    Someone should scrutinize Proton accounting from now on because there is no way Proton can tunaround without mucking around its accounts. The new model are a joke and because its all about defered expenses and unrealized revenues…

  4. “Thirunama (Lingam’s brother) claimed he had been asked by certain people to pretend to be insane and get himself admitted into Hospital Bahagia for two years when the ACA investigation was being carried out in 1998.

    “But I refused. They then told me to act like a mad person and admit myself at the Universiti Hospital and not inform my wife. I was also forced to say that my earlier statements to ACA were untrue,” he said. THE STAR

    He has another brother Siva who is a lawyer. Is he mad too?

  5. “Malaysians expect the Cabinet to set an example of “first-world” and “first-class” mentality …” KIT

    Never mind about the first class bit! Malaysians expect their government to do the right thing.

    Get V.K. Lingam to sit on ice for a couple of hours and see what comes out! No need to put him on oath. Just play the Lingam ringtone back to him for the entire day.

  6. YB Lim,

    Firstly thank you for allowing us to add something to your comment.

    Secondly, I appreciate the exposures you place here. Personally, I don’t expect anything new (from the gov’t) yet these exposures make public what otherwise would be conveniently hidden from many, many people. How long could they continue hiding behind the OSA and ISA?

    If you trace the age of blogs versus exposure, there is undeniably a correlation, albeit unsatisfactory of course but the trend is up. People may condemn you for your blog (and condemn us too for making comments), yet this blog exposes some ridiculous things that the admninistration hid.

    So continue on YB.

  7. Half-Past 6 Gomen it is!

    Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is more interested in solicialising in Asean and world stage.
    Let the people wait, they will drag their feet with setting up of the Royal Commission of Inquiry. Meanwhile General Election date is getting closer.

    The people(rakyat) can send in another ‘satu juta’ into the streets, for all they care – Najib and son-in-law Khairy said it loud and clear! Applying that familiar TDM ‘smirk’ look, he told reporters in Singapore that the BN/umno government is legally elected and representing the ‘real’ rakyat(people). He insisted there’s “nothing wrong” with the electoral roll, BN has lost Trengganu before and now Kelantan is still under PAS control.

  8. Well..Uncle Lim, dont be disturbed, just put the RCI panels under close scrutiny as well. After all, that is how a system work right? To prevent abuse, you have to do check and balance and keep a tight watch on the people with power.

  11. YB

    With respect I think you – and we – should not press Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak for an immediate announcement of the Cabinet’s decisions today on the terms of reference, scope of power and membership of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape.

    We want the cabinet to do right which is not neccesarily to nominate wrong and unsuitable candidates in a haste.

    My sense is that Najib, who will be chairing the Cabinet meeting this morning as the Prime Minister when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is in Singapore for the ASEAN Summit, is under instruction that the cabinet canot make decisions on such an important issue in Pak Lah’s absence.

    See what happened the last time – when they appointed the Haidar Panel when Pak Lah was away and was just informed of it for which he gave the nod without benefit of listening to the deliberations or dissenting voices? It is a fiasco.

    We don’t want the Deputy PM to influence cabinet on critical decisions for which the Prime Minister alone has to answer for wrong decisions, unless we think the Deputy would likely favour suitable candidates more than the Premier, do we? :)

  12. NTR are too pleased to see VKL bloated to overshadow his C4 case.
    Anyway, Malaysian have shorter memories than the rest and with so many high profile cases painting the town for GE manifesto ..
    NTR have been resting well lately too…
    VKL, you will earn your ‘Tan Sri’ ship soon for doing NTR this big favor.

  13. I begin to wonder whether this is the government that takes care of the ordinary rakyat ? From what I see they are more interested in protecting the privilege crooked friends. Corrupted judges are few! Similarly rascal and corrupted lawyers are minority! Then that rascal businessman too is like ‘king’ la just because he can use money to buy the judges.
    I simply do not understand the government take this stand!
    But I was told how this is done.
    The politicians need suport. The businessmen needs politicians to help in getting licences. So the businessmen will help to do charity work in the name of the government like MCA or MIC. Those voters especially the Chinese (I am a Chinese) stupidly support the businessman’s choice of candidate – BN candidate.
    Then after the election, the businessmen prosper more and more and the stupid voters complain of high taxes and rising cost.WHO CARES, say the MPs or ADUN or the businessmen? They got everyting and the voters are left to sufer.
    Yes, many of the voters are damn stupid thinking that BN will champion their cause!
    Now look at the Lingam tape! Looks like the authority is planning some Houdini act to save those despicables mentioned in the tape!!! Ha!Ha!Ha! Remember to vote for DAP in the next GE. I am no member of DAP but I believe thay have the powerless and poor at heart!!! Many of tem could have been driving Mercs or BMWs if they just switch to BN. You can see some of the former DAPs now with BN! Bukan main lo!!!

  14. Jeffrey is right. This is a government that is not in control. Sleepy Head is overseas as usual, and they can’t announce anything until they have consulted with him.

    A government that is not in control and yet out of control. Really sad state of affairs for Bolehland.

  15. Undergrad2 says:

    “Get V.K. Lingam to sit on ice for a couple of hours and see what comes out! No need to put him on oath. Just play the Lingam ringtone back to him for the entire day.”

    While Lingam is listening to his own ringtone, his eyes would like to see the replay of the video too. You need to stimulate all his senses for memory recall.

    And if these fail, maybe a visit to Hospital Bahagia for an exam too may help re-establish those neural transmitters.

  16. NTR appointment of the three toothless panel members, his ridiculously narrow term of reference, lack of transparency and his dragging of his feet on the lingam debacle certainly give an impression that there is something to hide or someone to protect.

    Does anyone of you now begin to wonder whether that infamous character had fixed the legal system on the Altantuya case and now it’s return of favour time?

    It did cross my mind.

  17. Abdullah’s pledge of a Malaysia with “First World Infrastructure, First-World Mentality” is a big bloody bareface lie, as with his claim of sending a malaysian to the moon ( by riding on a witch’s broom?! ). Don’t ever believe anything that born-loser says… just let him dream on in his beauty sleep until he gets himself dumped by his own umno

  20. Well, all these are as expected… It’ll be a surprise if they announce on time… It takes a year for them to reply letters…

    Talking about big issues, sure drag, drag, drag, drag X 1000…

    That’s their way of leading the country. Looks like Malaysian citizens are blind folded by them… A solid case of “a blind leading a blind”.

Leave a Reply