A Lawyer's Opinion on Zaid Ibrahim and His Actions I

By Loyar Korporat

Since time in memorial, the role of history has always not attracted the importance of the legacies from the past. Humans tend to take the easy way of addressing these legasies and resolving problems particularly current issues by having selective amnesia.

In addition, to which most things in life, if not all are about perceptions. As individuals, we all perceive things differently and resulting from these differences in perception, we arrive at different conclusions. Hence the term “Chinese Whispers”.

Approximately twenty over years ago, shortly after, a young lawyer from a state in the east coast started his own law practise in Kuala Lumpur. This particular individual is a politician and has now been touted as a philantrophist.

However the truth of the matter is that when this individual first started his legal firm, he was granted a retainer by company that had been awarded the right by the Malaysian Government to undertake the construction and completion together with a consession of an infrastructure privatisation project.

The retainer paid to this individual’s law firm, I am told, was initially Ringgit Malaysia Seventy Five Thousand (RM 75,000.00) per month and subsequently increased to Ringgit Malysia Ninety Thousand (RM 90,000.00) per month. The retainer, I was also told, was culculated based on the overheads of this particluar lawyer.

This Individual has sinced moved on to “bigger and better things” such as being found guilty of money politics by his own political party and yet, today, this individual is a minister in the Malaysian Cabinet. What a joke!

This lawyer even has the audicity to suggest that Tun Dr. Mahathir even be investigated as a result of the findings of the Royal Commission appointed over the Lingam videos.

Tun Dr M had in the appointment of any Chief Justice exercise his administrative power and authority. How could he have been involved or implicated in the such appointments. It is the perogrative of the Prima Minister. Are we now going to question all administrative decisions of a Prime Minister?

This Indiviual has also purportedly left the decision to initiate any action to the Attorney General and for a court to decide and adjudicate if any wrong doing has transpired.

The irony of this is that this same lawyer was very quick to say that the government would apologise to Tun Salleh Abas for any misdeeds and Tun Salleh Abas’s removal as Lord President. Even majority of the legal profession is perceived to condenm the removel of the five (5) Federal Court judges in the Tun Salleh Abas saga.

If my memory serves me correctly, I think it pertinent to state that Tun Salleh was never appointed a High Court Judge. Tun Salleh was the Solicitor General in 1979 and was elevated to the Federal Court in 1980. This elevation I am told was as result a being favoured by a former Lord President whose son and heir has, in recent months, been championing Tun Salleh’s cause and redemption.

Unfortunately the situation is that when the system favours a particular individual, he basks in all its glory and yet when it goes against him, the individual complains that he has been victimised..

In addition to which, I do not remember any proper forum being convened to address, decide and adjudicate this issue of the removal the Federal Court judges. Only the perception of members of the Malaysian Bar and public, however not all I might add.

I fail to understand the need for the Government to extend any ex gratia payments. Malaysians have generally overlook the fact that the Federal Court judges were removed by their own peers.

I am sure that many will disagree with what I have written above, Please remember that whatever I have penned above is merely my opinion. Each individual is entitled to their opinion. Finally, let me state: “Let the man who has not sinned cast the first stone”. I am not infallable, no man is!