M`SIA: SIX FORMER JUDGES PAID US$2.94 MILLION EX-GRATIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government paid out RM10.5
million (US$2.94 million) (US$1=RM3.55) in ex-gratia payment to six former
judges who were either sacked or suspended during the 1988 judicial crisis, the
Lower House of Parliament was told Thursday.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamad Nazri Aziz
said former Lord President Salleh Abas received RM5 million while the late
Wan Suleiman Pawanteh and George Edward Seah Kim Seng were paid
RM2 million each.

Wan Hamzah Mohd Salleh, the late Eusoffe Abdolcadeer and Azmi Kamaruddin
were paid RM500,000 each, he said when winding up the debate for the
Supplementary Supply Bill 2008 at committee stage.

Tun Salleh, Wan Suleiman and Seah were sacked while Wan Hamzah, Eusoffe and
Azmi were suspended during the crisis.

He said the decision to pay the ex-gratia was made by the cabinet.

Apart from the ex-gratia payment, the six judges also received a monthly
pension -- with Tun Salleh receiving RM5,102.16, Wan Suleiman (RM4,815), Eusoffe
(RM4,815), Wan Hamzah (RM6508.59), Seah (RM5,916.90) and Azmi (RM5,916.90).

Meanwhile, Wee Choo Keong, an opposition member of Parliament said he would
support the ex-gratia payment if the judges were indeed sacked and therefore had
lost their pension eligibilities.

"I cannot understand, however, why the minister said that the judges were
not sacked, but were instead asked to resign... all media reports said that a
tribunal had ordered them to be sacked," he said.

In reply, Nazri said there had never been an order from a tribunal to sack
the judges.

"There was never a panel formed to sack (the judges); and also, it is not
proper to quote newspaper reports in the House and take them as something
legitimate," he said.

At a news conference later, Nazri reiterated that the judges had been
asked
to resign.

"If they were sacked, they would not be entitled to receive pensions. They
were asked to resign... that is why they receive the pensions," he said.

Nazri also said that the decision to reveal the amount of ex-gratia payment
was made because of numerous requests, including from members of parliament, for
the government to do so.

"We wished they had not pursued the matter so that we can keep our promise
to the judges that we would not reveal the amount... but public interest
overrides everything else," he said.

The Lower House of Parliament sitting continues on Monday.

-- BERNAMA