Ti: RCI on judicial crisis needs to be carried out
KUALA LUMPUR: A royal commission of inquiry on the sacking of former lord president Tun Mohamed Salleh Abas and other judges in 1988 needs to be carried out to protect the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
MCA publicity spokesman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said he found it puzzling why former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former attorney-general Tan Sri Abu Talib Osman pinned the blame on the late King Sultan Iskandar Shah.
He said he found it intriguing the two chose to cast the blame on the king, who was no longer around to defend himself, and described the accusation as unconscionable and irresponsible.
“For the sake of upholding our loyalty to the king, as outlined by the Rukun Negara and towards safeguarding the good name of our king as an institution, we should not allow the former prime minister and the former attorneygeneral to be the judge, jury and executioner on who is to be blamed for the darkest episode of our judiciary.
“In the name of justice and as loyal citizens of the country, we should not stand by idly to allow these two to gang up together to put the blame of the ‘darkest episode’ of our modern history on the late King Sultan Iskandar Shah, thus undermining the very institution of the Yang diPertuan Agong that we revere.”
Ti called for a full disclosure of the circumstances and events leading to the sacking of the lord president and a few senior judges back then.
“This calls for a royal commission of inquiry into the truth of the matter when many witness are still alive and many answers can still be found.”
He asked if DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang would stand by his call in Parliament to form the royal inquiry to investigate Dr Mahathir and the administration he led in 1989.
“In the 1989 book May Day for Justice, written by K. Das and Salleh, there were allegations and accusations made against both these executives. In the book, issues were raised and made against Dr Mahathir.
“Various political intrigues and motives were given, and the moral and legal sins were basically attributed to Dr Mahathir,” Ti said, adding that in calling for the inquiry to be formed, Lim had also called for all to read the book.
“Will Kit Siang retract his call to form a royal commission of inquiry to investigate Dr Mahathir now?”