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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Bar Tuesday welcomed the move by the government to set up an independent panel to investigate the authenticity of a video clip featuring a lawyer allegedly brokering the appointment of judges with somebody over the phone.

"The Malaysian Bar sees the appointment of the panel as a first step and a positive move, responsive to public opinion," its president Ambiga Sreenevasan said in a statement here.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the formation of the panel to be headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor, with former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar and prominent social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye as members, earlier today.

Ambiga hoped that the remit of the panel would extend beyond merely probing the authenticity of the video clip "although it is recognised that this is an essential first step".

The Malaysian Bar was ready to cooperate with the panel in the move to uncover the truth, she said.

Despite the establishment of the panel, the Bar still wanted the government to set up a royal commission of inquiry with wider terms of reference that should include looking into the present state of the judiciary and the need for a judicial appointments commission, she said.

In KOTA KINABALU, the Sabah Law Association (SLA) and the Advocates Association of Sarawak (AAS) have also welcomed the move to set up the independent panel.

In a joint statement, SLA president John Sikayun and AAS president Sim Hui Chuang said the panel should be given full powers to investigate and make recommendations rather than be merely confined to probe the authenticity of the video.

"Their findings must be made public. Their recommendations must be acted upon," they said.

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