Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on
Tuesday, 18th November 2008:
"7 days for Zaki to step down"
I call upon the Chief Justice, Tan Sri
Zaki Tun Azmi, to step down as Chief Justice, Malaysia. I give hin 7
days from today within which to step down honourably. There is no doubt
that on 7.11.2008 in Kuching, Tan Sri Zaki said the following,
“It took me six months to be
nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good
books before our files were attended to.
That was personal experience, and I am telling this to all the
clerks and all the registries to stop this nonsense.”
Tan Sri Zaki cannot, and should not,
deny that he had in face uttered the abovementioned words.
There is a audio recording of what he said in Kuching.
Tan Sri Zaki’s clarification on 8.11.2008,
“I refer to your report on page
four of the NST headlined, Stop it now, corrupt court staff warned.
Your reporter must have interpreted what I have said, which is that
during that period there was corruption in order to get things done
at the court regisrty, as I myself having done it. I have never in
my life bribed or received any bribe.”
does not constitute the truth.
This clarification is in fact a lie and his reflects poorly on the
integrity of Tan Sri Zaki. In issuing the clarification, he has misled
the entire country. He is, therefore, not a fit and proper person to
hold the high office of Chief Justice. His continued occupation of the
post of Chief Justice has embarrassed the judiciary. Chief Justice Tan
Sri Zaki should not run away from the truth.
I am issuing this statement in my capacity as chairman of the caucus on
the Intergrity and Independence of the Judiciary and Member of
Parliament.
I the event Tan Sri Zaki does not step down as Chief Justice within 7
days from today, I will have no alternative but to move a motion against
him under Article 127 reads,
‘The conduct of a judge of the
Federal Court, the Court of Appeal or a High Court shall not be
discussed in either House of Parliament except on a substantive
motion of which notice has been given by not less than one quarter
of the total number of members of that House, and shall not be
discussed in the Legislative Assembly of any State.’
In the meanwhile, I call upon Barisan
Nasional Backbenchers Club (BBC) to forward to me the names of those
interested in joining the caucus to make it more representative. It is
wrong for the chairman of the BBC to say that only the slot for the
deputy chairman of the caucus is open to the Barisan Nasional.
The Pakatan Rakyat has 81Members in Parliament. Signatures of only 55
Members of Parliament are required to constitute the one fourth of
Members of Parliament to move a motion on the conduct of a judge
required under Article 127.
* Karpal Singh, DAP National Chairman & MP for Bukit
Gelugor
http://dapmalaysia.org