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©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Llew-Ann Phang

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor (pix), who chairs the Special Independent Investigation Panel to determine the authenticity of a controversial video recording, said yesterday he is aware of public opinion that the lawyer featured in the eight-minute video clip is Datuk V.K. Lingam.

Admitting that he had seen the video recording, the former chief judge of Malaya told theSun: “People say it is a picture of V.K. but we don’t know who (it was on) the other end (of the line).”

Asked if the panel had decided who to call up for the inquiry, he said it had yet to determine the actual scope of work entrusted to it and could not do so before meeting Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan.

“Then I shall meet with the other members before we can start on our strategy (on how to conduct the investigations). (But) from the statements Najib has made, we are being confined to determining if the video is real or not and we have to work with what is available,” he said.

Haidar said he had an informal meeting with the other two members of the panel – National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar – yesterday afternoon to “get to know each other”.

It is learnt the Najib and Sidek will meet the panel members at 3pm today, during which the letters of appointment would be presented to them and a discussion held to crystallise the nature of their assignment.

Based on Najib’s announcement on Tuesday, the panel’s job is to authenticate the recording of a telephone conversation between a senior lawyer and a “Datuk”, who is believed to be a senior judge, over appointments to the highest courts.

Haidar said the members had been told to be prepared for the meeting, at which he hopes to get a clearer picture of the panel’s task and scope of duties.

On the panel’s task, he admitted that it would be difficult for the panel to compel people to attend investigations as it was not established as a Commission of Inquiry.

He called for those with evidence like Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to come forward to provide evidence. PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also a former deputy prime minister, produced the video clip at a press conference on Sept 19.

The next day, PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah lodged a report with the Kuala Lumpur Anti-Corruption Agency. Since then, there have been calls for a full investigation into the incident which could erode public confidence in the judiciary.

“Of course, we expect full cooperation and people with evidence will come forward (to) make our work easier,” Haidar said.

He said that before the task is carried out, he will discuss with the government the need to provide support services, including a place for the panel to work in, a secretary and some personnel.

Asked whether the panel would hold media briefings, he said: “At the moment, we are still unclear of our role (and once we know that), I will have to discuss with my other members to see if we have anything to tell the press. It is still premature for that.”

Haidar said he was surprised to learn of his appointment and described the task as an “onerous” one. “I thought I retired,” he said with a laugh, adding that he will conduct investigations with an open mind.

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