©Bernama
(Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) –– The inquiry into the Lingam video clip started
today with a lawyer applying for three members of the Royal Commission of
Inquiry to recuse themselves.
M.Puravelan, who is representing three witnesses from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR),
said that the three commissioners –– chairman Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Nor, Tan
Sri Amar Steve Shim Lip Kiong and Puan Sri Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh –– should
disqualify themselves because they have connections with either the case or the
witnesses.
Puravelan said Haidar is a trustee of Perdana Foundation of which two other
witnesses –– former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and prominent
businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan –– are also trustees.
He said that the former chief judge of Malaya was also one of the Court of
Appeal judges who presided in a case where the parties sought to submit as
evidence a photograph of Datuk V.K.Lingam holidaying with former chief justice
Tun Eusoff Chin.
He said Shim's name was mentioned in the video clip while Zaitun, a retired
solicitor–general, handled civil suits between Dr Mahathir and PKR advisor Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim when she was a senior federal counsel.
The inquiry at the Jalan Duta Court Complex started at 10.05am with the
introduction of the parties involved and their lawyers.
Lingam is represented by R. Thayalan and Tan by N. Ravikumar while Anwar, PKR
vice–president R. Sivarasa and PKR coordinator Sim Tze Tzin are represented by
Puravelan and three other lawyers.
Former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim is represented by
Salehudin Saidin and two lawyers, former chief justice Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin
Abdullah by Khoo Huan Huat and businessman Loh Mui Fah by Americk Singh Sidhu.
The Malaysian Bar is represented by Robert Lazar, Yeo Yang Poh, Christopher
Leong, Ranjit Singh and Razlan Abdul while three NGOs –– Aliran, Hakam and
Suaram –– are represented by Azahar Haron and three other lawyers.
The other two members of the commission are retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk
Mahadev Shankar and Suhakam commissioner Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay
Kim.
The commission was set up to ascertain the authencity of the video clip;
identify the persons in the video clip; ascertain the truth or otherwise of the
content of the conversation in the video clip, determine whether there is any
misconduct and to recommend appropriate action against the person or persons
identified in the video clip if there is misconduct.