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©The Sunday Star (Used by permission)
by Lee Yuk Peng

IT HAS remained a mystery – the sum of ex-gratia payments given to a Lord President and five Supreme Court judges who were sacked during the judicial crisis in 1988.

But that will not be the case for long, with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz stepping in.

As the minister in charge of judicial affairs, Nazri believes the sum should be made public on the grounds of transparency.

His predecessor, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who presented the payments to the former judges, had promised to keep the sum confidential at the requests of the judges’ family members, who stated security as a reason.

So, it is now a question of transparency vs security.

“I think it should be disclosed because public funds are involved. I owe it to the MPs to reveal the figure in Parliament.”

On Wednesday, Opposition MPs Wee Choo Keong (PKR - Wangsa Maju), Salahuddin Ayub (PAS - Kubang Kerian) and Mahfuz Omar (PAS - Pokok Sena) demanded that Nazri reveal the amount.

Wee alleged that one judge received more than RM4mil and challenged Nazri for the answer.

“You are a minister. How can you not know the amount?” asked Wee.

To that, Nazri retorted: “You can tell the Prime Minister to sack me because I do not know the figures.

“I do not want to mislead the House and simply give a figure. The compensation was handled by the previous minister. Let me look for it.”

The exchange took place in the absence of Karpal Singh (DAP - Bukit Gelugor), who would have certainly been a thorn in the flesh for Nazri.

Karpal Singh was serving a two-day suspension ordered by the Speaker and missed the opportunity to grill Nazri.

Nazri had other issues to contend with as well. He was the first minister to wind up the debate on the Budget, replying for a good four hours.

The issues on his plate included Hindraf, the special rights of the Malays, the Anti-Corruption Agency and matters related to the judiciary.

At one point, after holding court for three-and-a-half-hours, he requested that the House stand down for 10 minutes — to enable him to answer nature’s call!

Tan Sri Amirsham A. Aziz, another Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was not spared a grilling as well.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, who was presiding then, stopped Lim from forcing Amirsham to answer whether he agreed that the New Economic Policy could not be equated to Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed the special rights of the Malays and bumiputras.

Kiandee reminded Lim that he could not force Amirsham to answer and that Nazri had already dealt at length with Article 153.

During question time, there were MPs who tried to slot in questions unrelated to the original question.

A case in point was Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN - Sri Gading) who raised a supplementary query on road signs when the original question by Nancy Shukri (BN - Batang Sadong) was on the Unity, Culture and Heritage Ministry’s plan to set up more offices in Sarawak.

Mohamad asked Deputy Minister Teng Boon Soon about the ministry’s action against Penang’s intention to use various languages on road signs.

Other MPs stood up and made remarks. Teng then said: “Language used on road signs does not come under this ministry. It is actually under the local council at the state level.”

Another deputy minister’s reply also raised the eyebrows of many.

Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib, the Deputy Tourism Minister, told Datuk Razali Ibrahim (BN - Muar) that Malaysia was a unique country in the region as “there are many Malaysians who are middle-class who speak good English and tourists find it easy to communicate (with us).”

Johari Abdul (PKR - Sungai Petani) challenged this, saying: “What about places in Sabah and Sarawak, rivers and forests in the north of the peninsula where folk don’t speak English but tourists are keen to visit? Are these places included in the tourism map of the ministry?”

Former Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who was in the House, lent Abdul Rahman a helping hand by saying : “Masuk (it’s included). Malaysia Truly Asia.”

The Eurocopter deal had its fair share of attention — both in and out of the House, with Amirsham having to explain the purchase from the French firm.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop took queries on the pricing, the quotation and test flights of the helicopter, while Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung explained the deferment of the helicopter purchase for the police.

Outside, the Public Accounts Committee chaired meetings on the helicopter deal by summoning officers from both the defence and finance ministries.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the Defence Minister, clarified the price of 12 Eurocopter EC-725 Cougar as questions were raised in the House over three differing prices — RM1.604bil, RM1.67bil and RM1.7bil. He explained the matter in the presence of his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the former Defence Minister.

The House sits again tomorrow, and the Public Accounts Committee will continue with its meeting on the helicopter deal.

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