ID :
29154
Sat, 11/08/2008 - 18:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/29154
The shortlink copeid
JUDGES IN 1988 JUDICIAL CRISIS SACKED, SAYS MAHATHIR
PUTRAJAYA, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday the three judges involved in the 1988 judicial crisis were sacked and not asked to retire early as stated by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamad Nazri Aziz.
"As far as I know, they were sacked," he told reporters when asked to
comment on the matter at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.
Former Lord President Salleh Abas, the late Wan Suleiman Pawan Teh
and George Edward Seah were dismissed from office after a tribunal found
them guilty of misconduct in the 1988 judicial crisis.
Three other judges, Mohd Azmi Kamaruddin, the late Eusoffe
Abdoolcader and Wan Hamzah Mohd Salleh, were suspended but subsequently
reinstated.
Dr Mahathir said, however, that the former judges still received a pension
on compassionate grounds.
Dr Mahathir said that despite the fact that he was sacked, Salleh had
rendered service to the government in the years when he was there.
"To cut him off completely from his pension is very cruel, so it was
decided
that he and the other judges get their pensions," he said.
Last Thursday, Nazri said in the Lower House of Parliament that the
tribunal had never recommended the sacking of the judges but required them to
retire early.
He had earlier revealed in the house that Salleh was paid RM5 million
(US$1=RM3.55) in ex-gratia payment by the government, Seah and the late Wan
Suleiman Pawan Teh RM2 million each, and Eusoffe, Wan Hamzah and Azmi RM500,000
each.
Dr Mahathir declined comment when asked whether the ex-gratia payments were
sufficient, saying that the question should be posed to former Minister in the
Prime Minister's Department and de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim.
He said that while the government was "in the mood of being nice and has a
lot of money they want to give to people", a compensation should also be given
to former Rural Development Ministry secretary-general Dr Abdul Aziz
Muhamad who has been acquitted of the charge of abetment in committing criminal
breach of trust and of cheating involving RM9 million last Tuesday.
"He is really a nice man, but miscarriage of justice does happen," he
said.
Dr Mahathir, who is honorary president of the Perdana Leadership
Foundation, also launched a charity triathlon by long-distance swimmer Salman
Ali Shariati Abdul Halim, 11, and delivered a keynote address at the forum on
"The Value of Youths and the Future Leadership".
"As far as I know, they were sacked," he told reporters when asked to
comment on the matter at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.
Former Lord President Salleh Abas, the late Wan Suleiman Pawan Teh
and George Edward Seah were dismissed from office after a tribunal found
them guilty of misconduct in the 1988 judicial crisis.
Three other judges, Mohd Azmi Kamaruddin, the late Eusoffe
Abdoolcader and Wan Hamzah Mohd Salleh, were suspended but subsequently
reinstated.
Dr Mahathir said, however, that the former judges still received a pension
on compassionate grounds.
Dr Mahathir said that despite the fact that he was sacked, Salleh had
rendered service to the government in the years when he was there.
"To cut him off completely from his pension is very cruel, so it was
decided
that he and the other judges get their pensions," he said.
Last Thursday, Nazri said in the Lower House of Parliament that the
tribunal had never recommended the sacking of the judges but required them to
retire early.
He had earlier revealed in the house that Salleh was paid RM5 million
(US$1=RM3.55) in ex-gratia payment by the government, Seah and the late Wan
Suleiman Pawan Teh RM2 million each, and Eusoffe, Wan Hamzah and Azmi RM500,000
each.
Dr Mahathir declined comment when asked whether the ex-gratia payments were
sufficient, saying that the question should be posed to former Minister in the
Prime Minister's Department and de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim.
He said that while the government was "in the mood of being nice and has a
lot of money they want to give to people", a compensation should also be given
to former Rural Development Ministry secretary-general Dr Abdul Aziz
Muhamad who has been acquitted of the charge of abetment in committing criminal
breach of trust and of cheating involving RM9 million last Tuesday.
"He is really a nice man, but miscarriage of justice does happen," he
said.
Dr Mahathir, who is honorary president of the Perdana Leadership
Foundation, also launched a charity triathlon by long-distance swimmer Salman
Ali Shariati Abdul Halim, 11, and delivered a keynote address at the forum on
"The Value of Youths and the Future Leadership".
