Former Chief Judge Of Malaya Does Not Remember Attending Conference

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 June (Bernama) -- Former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Noor cannot remember whether he attended a Judges Conference on April 24, 1997 during which former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was alleged to have issued a thinly-veiled threat to the judges.

"I can't remember", he said to the media after launching the Direct Access Malaysian Bar MasterCard at a hotel here Friday.

When asked whether he was shocked to hear the allegations made by Sarawak High Court judge Datuk Ian HC Chin, Haidar who is the chairman of CIMB Bank, said "tak apa" (never mind).

Chin had on Monday revealed that the former prime minister had threatened judges with removal and that he and selected judges were sent to a boot camp to be indoctrinated to hold the view that the government's interest was more important when considering their judgments.

Chin made the revelations before hearing an election petition challenging the results of the Sarikei parliamentary seat which was won by the Barisan Nasional candidate by 51 votes in the March 8 general election.

The judge also disclosed that he was threatened by Dr Mahathir over a high-profile case so that he would decide in favour of a friend of the former prime minister.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government did not see it fit to set up another royal commission to investigate the alleged threats by the former prime minister.

He said this was because the government had already decided to introduce reforms in the judiciary.

-- BERNAMA