Friday January 18, 2008
Grilling by lawyers tests Tourism Minister’s patience
KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor became somewhat upset when lawyers grilled him during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the V.K. Lingam video clip.
The former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, the 10th witness, started out answering the questions politely but the grilling clearly tested his patience.
Christopher Leong, who represented the Bar Council, had asked why he thought Lingam would “of all names, pick out your name when you hardly know him?”
Tengku Adnan replied: “My name is not only dropped here, not only by V.K. Lingam. People who want to build mosques, seek donations also use my name.
“Masuk jail pun pakai nama saya (those who get hauled to prison also use my name). Be fair to me.”
On his relationship with Lingam, which Tengku Adnan claimed was “extremely limited”, Leong asked: “If your interaction with Lingam is extremely limited, how could you recognise Lingam after watching the video clip on YouTube?”
“Like I said earlier, initially I couldn't recognise him but after watching a little bit more, I could. I have met him before.
“Macam saudara ni, saya akan cam lah (Like you, I can recognise lah),” Tengku Adnan said to laughter from the courtroom.
When Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's lawyer M. Puravalen asked him if business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan had ever gone to his house in Taman Duta, Tengku Adnan answered “No.”
But he quickly corrected himself by adding: “Maybe during Hari Raya.”
“Malaysians are all muhibbah. Just like Deepavali I go to your house, and Hari Raya, you come to my house,” he said.
Commission member Datuk Mahadev Shankar later said: “The imputations in the clip is that you breached the Official Secrets Act. Did you take it up with V.K. Lingam?”
“I didn't call him. I didn't even bother,” Tengku Adnan said.
Despite his earlier frustration, Tengku Adnan left the witness stand with a smile.
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