The march for justice.
Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim has denied as being the person at the end of a telephone conversation with VK Lingam in the video clip.
This was what Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said last night. It seems Ahmad Fairuz had contacted him to issue the denial. However Nazri did not state when Ahmad Fairuz called him to make the denial.
That doesn’t mean the matter is over and an inquiry is not needed. You can be politically apathetic and choose to abstain from voting but this is a matter that concerns all of us in our access to justice. If that’s not important, I really can’t think what else is. So all my lawyer and non-lawyer friends join in the march in upholding the principle of an independent judiciary for this country. Members of the Bar Council will be marching from Palace of Justice to PM’s office in Putrajaya on Sept 26, this coming Wednesday at 11am (thanks Amer for the head up!)
Since I’m an ‘expert’ in taking public transport to Putrajaya. Here are directions to POJ for those based in the Klang Valley.
Quickest way there is via the KLIA Transit. Train leaves twice an hour, every 3rd and 33rd minute. Price is RM9.50 one way, RM15 for a return from KL Sentral. Journey takes about 20 minutes.
Upon reaching Putrajaya, take any Nadi Putra bus that ends with 01 i.e. 201, 301, 401 or 501. Each journey is 50 sen and available every 30 minutes. Journey is approximately 10-20 minutes depending which bus you take.
Taxi service is also available, RM7 per journey to POJ. Journey take 5 minutes.
Rapid KL is RM2 all day but their scheduling is pretty bad and odds are, the bus to POJ will never come. Good luck!!
NB: Nat also pointed out something interesting. Why is Nazri answering for CJ? Why is CJ relaying his denial to Nazri? What’s the executive’s role in this matter concerning the judiciary? Where’s the separation of powers? Did the CJ have to wait for orders before issuing his denial? Why did he answer my fax with a ‘no comment’ instead of an outright denial straightaway? Two days to say ‘no comment’, three days to say ‘it wasn’t me’. Is he busy? Is he occupied? If yes, with what? As far as I know, things are pretty relax in the Federal Court with cases slowing down to well a halt because of the Ramadhan month. Cases hardly get heard beyond 2:30pm. What gives? I smell a rat and it sure ain’t me.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
For lawyers, transport is provided for.
Buses will be chartered at the Bar Council at 9am .
You may have problem taking a taxi back from POJ as taxis are pretty scarce in Putrajaya. Further, the crowd in Putrajaya may be fighting for taxis after the event.
I’m not attending btw. I’m not in support of this movement.
September 24th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I cant go with you cuz im in sg as you know but good luck in this. will be praying for you guys, really am up to my neck in pist-off-chology with the current state of affairs.
first they blame the poor kid parents for negligence, not the murderers. we have corrupted judiciary, police and governance. what is happening here?
do take care, they might start a roadblock to slow down you guys but i dont think they will go as far as shoot water cannons.. after all its lawyers we are talking about and after seeing my lawyer speaking with the cops, i think they wont dare do anything stupid!
September 24th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Hi,
I heard that the bar council is providing 5 buses departing from the secretariat at 9am sharp to go to Putrajaya. For those who need transport, please be at the bar council before 9am, 26 September 2007. Join the HISTORICAL MARCH FOR JUSTICE!
For route of the march, please see MAP at http://bodohland.wordpress.com
September 24th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
samseng: chartered buses are only for members of the bar, i’m afraid.
xes: not in support? why? i’d really like to know your thoughts :)
September 24th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Well, first of all, it’s just a video purporting to be a recording of the conversation between VK Lingam and the Chief Justice. Nothing in the video or any report could prove that the person on the other line is the Chief Justice. Another thing is that I have not met VK Lingam before hence I don’t even know whether the person speaking on the phone on that grainy video is VK Lingam. What people told me were just hearsay.
Secondly, if there is reasonable suspicion that some hanky panky has occured and the video is prove to show the hanky panky, then appropriate step would be lodging a report to the police or the Anti Corruption Agency and wait for the results. This simple process hasn’t been completed and yet now we have a legion of lawyers and the public marching to the PMO. What is our foreign investors gonna think about the stability of the country and the government mechanism?
I think we should let the authorities do their job and if we are not satisfied with the answer given and all channels of complaints have been exhausted, then I am of the view that the “March” is justified.
Nevertheless, I hope the march would be a peaceful one and my learned friends will return home safe and sound on Wednesday.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Xes,
“What is our foreign investors gonna think about the stability of the country and the government mechanism? ” —> maybe the Truth?? come on lah, look at the foreign media reports on Malaysia nowadays. I think the “foreign investors” u mean here are in fact Malaysians in denial as most foreigners by now should already know Malaysia’s true colors.
Its not like the man-on the street is benifitting much from these so called “foreign investors” anyway.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Xes, call ACA, make report? you must be joking. every single person who made a report to ACA are now the ones being interrogated. please go to www.malaysia-today.net and read there for news. if you have RM15 a month or so, log onto malaysiakini news portal for the news that matters.
you think about it, these are lawyers we are talking about, they are smart, they wouldnt march if they trust the ACA or the cops. we are talking of how the institution(s) of police, judiciary and government is under the heavy hand of corruption. who can we trust anymore?
did u check out the march by the hundreds of thousands of monks and civilians in myanmar?
i believe in miracles, and i will do my part that miracles do happen, maybe not this year or next year but surely it will come:) things changes when WE, the people do something.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
polytikus,
my mistake about the transport. i have made the necessary correction.
about the massive march by folks or Myanmar, our Barisan Najis ministers said:
“Malaysia had always taken the stand that the Myanmar Government should understand the aspirations of its people.”
what hypocrite!
September 25th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
tikusfan: what the foreign investors have in mind is already bad. Our economy is not well. We do not wish to make it worst. On the part that where you said “Its not like the man-on the street is benifitting much from these so called “foreign investors” anyway.”, maybe you should do some further reading.
shiver: It is good that you have such vision. I support that but be reminded that the rule of law comes first.
In any event, I have changed my mind and will be attending the march tomorrow. I am a member of the Bar Council and since the Bar Council has urged the participation of the members, I will lend my support leaving aside my personal belief.
Hope to see everyone there.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
This just got in, here’s the itinerary for tomorrow.
8.30 am: Lawyers taking the bus are to gather at Dataran Merdeka.
9.00 am: The buses will leave for the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya.
10.30am: Lawyers are to gather at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya.
A brief statement by Ambiga.
11.00am: The march to the PM’s Office begins.
11.30am: Lawyers are to gather at the PM’s Office. Ambiga and the Council members will present the memo to the DPM’s office
September 26th, 2007 at 9:30 am
xes,
so maybe a report on the march later?
“maybe you should do some further reading” –> this sounds a bit condascending , typical of lawyers i guess. i dont think i need to though, may be u should.