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Thursday April 10, 2008

PM to announce judicial reforms

By SIM LEOI LEOI


PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will make an announcement soon on the measures that the Government will institute for judicial reforms.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said although several details had yet to be decided on, the Government was fully committed to the task of returning the public's trust in the country's judiciary system.

"The Prime Minister himself as well as his deputy and other Cabinet members have said many times that they are committed to judicial reforms.

"I think there is no need for us to doubt the Government's commitment in this matter. The Premier will announce himself the reforms and the principles behind this move. I think the announcement is going to be made sooner than one thinks," he told reporters Thursday after chairing the post-Cabinet meeting at his office here.

However, Zaid said the reform for the country's judiciary still had a long way to go before it was fully implemented and that there were many challenges ahead.

Among others, the judicial reforms were expected to take the form of a judicial commission for a more transparent appointment and promotion of judges, the vesting in of the judiciary with judicial power to accord it with the respect proper to one of the three branches of Government and the principle of separation of powers.

"There are many things as well. The Premier will elaborate on this during his announcement," said Zaid.

On Wednesday, the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah had said the time was ripe for such an establishment while Chief Justice Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad had also welcomed it being set up.

Zaid said he had felt touched by both Raja Nazrin and Abdul Hamid's support for his proposal.

"The proposals have also received support from former judges, the Bar Council and members of the public. The important thing is that we have gotten support from those who are knowledgeable in this field," he said, adding that any amendment or passing of new legislature would be carried out with the agreement of all stakeholders.

Asked if it was true that the Cabinet had refused his proposal to apologise to those victimised by the 1988 judicial crisis, Zaid declined to reply except to say that the "judicial reforms are on track".

"All that we will need to do to bring about reforms and changes, we will do," he said, adding that the Government was also open to recommendations from the public as well as from the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Lingam videoclip, which was expected to submit its report at the end of the month.

On whether he agreed with Abdullah in holding former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad responsible for the current state of the judiciary, Zaid said the sacking of judges, incidences of corruption and the amendment of the Federal Constitution taking away their judicial power had taken place under his rule.

"So, you draw your own conclusions," he said.

Asked if a committee should be set up to review "misdeeds" in the previous administration, Zaid said his personal view was that he was "not interested in going back."

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