Suruhanjaya Haidar di dalam memutuskan untuk tidak menerima bukti wujudnya konspirasi menetapkan keputusan mahkamah telah menghakis keyakinan orang ramai bahawa kerajaan hari ini serius di dalam mengembalikan kedaulatan undang-undang di Malaysia.

Saya amat kecewa bahawa Suruhanjaya Haidar telah memutuskan bahawa saya tidak perlu dipanggil untuk memberikan bukti wujudnya rasuah sebagaimana disebutkan di dalam petikan kenyataan saya yang diserahkan kepadada Suruhanjaya Haidar. Saya yakin bukti yang saya dapat berikan mampu membantu Suruhanjaya Haidar untuk mendapatkan kebenaran disebalik kemelut yang melanda sejarah kehakiman Malaysia ini.

Keputusan Suruhanjaya untuk tidak membenarkan saya memberi keterangan sudah semestinya akan menimbulkan tanggapan ada kuasa-kuasa di belakang tabir yang menentukan keputusan tersebut. Kuasa-kuasa ini cukup berpengaruh sehinggakan Suruhanjaya ini tidak akan teragak-agak untuk berbuat apa sahaja bagi menafikan saya memberikan bukti, meskipun bukti tersebut sudah semestinya akan membantu menjelaskan keterangan-keterangan lain yang telah diberikan selama ini. Namun, para pesuruhjaya (terutamanya Tan Sri Haidar) tidak mengambil peluang ini untuk mencari punca sebenar skandal ini, tetapi menghabiskan masa mereka dengan isu-isu prosedur dan tafsiran yang terhad tentang bidangkuasa mereka.

Tujuan dan matlamat siasatan ini ialah untuk memastikan rakyat Malaysia dan masyarakat antarabangsa bahawa hakim-hakim di negara kita boleh menjunjung keadilan tanpa kecuali. Malangnya, para pesuruhjaya mengambil tafsiran yang terhad terhadap terma-terma rujukan dan sekaligus mengelak dari menyiasat rasuah yang paling jijik sekali bahawa keputusan di dalam mahkamah kita boleh diatur, dan bukannya mengapuskan barah rasuah ke akar umbinya. Secara asasnya, video Lingam menunjukkan pihak yang berkemungkinan terjebak atau sememangnya terlibat dengan rasuah dilantik ataupun dinaikkan pangkat sebagai hakim. Para pesuruhjaya tersilap di dalam hanya membenarkan bukti penetapan perlantikan hakim tanpa membenarkan bukti rasuah diambilkira.

Sebelum penubuhan Suruhanjaya DiRaja ini saya sudah mendesak agar terma rujukan siasatan ini mestilah cukup luas dan jelas bagi memastikan kemaslahatan umum dipelihara. Jelas, perkara ini tidak berlaku. Akibat dari terma rujukan yang tidak dihurai dengan baik dan terma rujukan yang terhad, para pesuruhjaya kini telah membuat ralat yang nyata.

Justeru, di dalam pendekatan yang teramat pincang ini, Suruhanjaya bukan sahaja gagal mendapat gambaran sebenar situasi ini tetapi sama ada secara sedar atau tidak terlibat di dalam menghalang penegakan undang-undang. Saya tidak menggunakan istilah ini dalam konteks perundangan yang terhad tetapi konteks etika dan moral yang lebih luas bagai mengambilkira harapan tulen rakyat. Dan menjadi harapan sebenar rakyat bahawa prosiding siasatan ini dijalankan supaya keadilan dapat dicapai secara meyakinkan.

Saya juga menyeru Perdana Menteri Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi untuk mengambil tindakan segera bagi menjelaskan terma rujukan bagi memastikan bukti rasuah termasuk penetapan keputusan mahkamah bermula dengan penyingkiran bekas Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Salleh Abbas diterimapakai di dalam siasatan ini.

Sekiranya kerajaan benar-benar serius di dalam memerangi rasuah serta mengembalikan keyakinan terhadap institusi kehakiman, inilah peluang untuk mereka membuktikan komitmen mereka. Sudah sampai masanya Perdana Menteri mengambil tindakan tegas bagi membawa mereka yang merosakkan institusi kehakiman, tidak kira apa jawatan mereka ke muka pengadilan, bukan dengan hanya melaungkan slogan muluk-muluk tentang prinsip ketelusan dan akauntabiliti.

Saya mendesak Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bertindak segera bagi memastikan rakyat Malaysia dan masyarakat antarabangsa dapat diyakinkan bahawa kerajaan beliau serius di dalam memerangi rasuah dan benar-benar mahu menegakkan kedaulatan undang-undang.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

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The Haidar Commission in ruling not to admit evidence on fixing of court decisions has severely affected public confidence that the present administration is serious in restoring the rule of law in Malaysia.

It is disappointing to note that the Haidar Commission has ruled that I need not be called to provide evidence of corruption as indicated in the synopsis of my statement to be given to the Haidar Commission. I am certain that the evidence that I can give will be of significant assistance to the Haidar Commission to get the truth behind this dark patch in Malaysian judicial history.

The decision by the Commission to arbitrarily disallow me to testify would certainly lead one to the conclusion that some unseen hand is at work. This hand is so powerful that the Commission will stop at nothing to prevent me from giving evidence, even though the evidence concerned will definitely shed light on the testimony given so far. Instead of seizing the opportunity of the Inquiry to find the underlying cause of this scandal, the Commissioners, (in particular the Chairman Tan Sri Haidar), have chosen to fetter themselves with procedural legalities and restrictive interpretations as to what they can do and what they cannot do.

The purpose and objective of the Enquiry is to assure both the Malaysian public and foreigners that judges in Malaysia dispense justice without fear or favour. Unfortunately, instead of adopting a robust approach to surgically remove the cancer of corruption in the judiciary in all its forms, the Commissioners adopt at a restricted interpretation of its term of reference and thereby exclude investigation into the most malignant form of corruption that decisions of the Courts in Malaysia can be fixed. The crux of the matter is that the Lingam video shows that persons who are likely to be corruptible or are corrupted are appointed or promoted as judges. The Commissioners have fallen into serious error in only allowing evidence of brokering of judges’ appointments without allowing evidence of corruption to be admitted.

I had prior to the setting up of the Royal Commission warned that the terms of reference of the Enquiry must be sufficiently wide and clear to ensure that the public interests is served. This was not done. As a result of the poorly drafted and restrictive terms of reference, the Commissioners have now made a manifest error.

Obviously, in pursuing this farcical approach to justice, the Commission has not only deprived itself of the opportunity to get a better picture of the true state of affairs but is wittingly or unwittingly become complicit in the obstruction of justice. I use this term not in the restrictive legal context but in a wider ethical and moral context taking into account the legitimate expectations of the people. And it is the legitimate expectation of the people that the proceedings of the Inquiry be conducted so that justice is not only done but seen to be done.

I also call upon Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take immediate action by providing a clarification on the terms of reference to ensure that evidence of corruption including the fixing of decisions beginning from the time of the sacking of the former Lord President, Tun Salleh Abbas be admitted in the ongoing Enquiry.

If the government is serious about combating corruption as well as restoring confidence in the judiciary, this is the opportunity for it to prove itself. Rather than just paying lip service to the principles of accountability and transparency, the Prime Minister should take decisive and firm action to bring to justice all those responsible, how high they may be, for corrupting the administration of justice in this country.

I urge Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to act immediately in order that Malaysians and the international community can be assured that his administration is serious in combating corruption and is genuine in wanting to uphold the rule of law.

ANWAR IBRAHIM