> King wanted pension paid to judges

Former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Iskandar Ismail had requested the government to pay pension to the six sacked judges who were embroiled in the 1988 judiciary crisis, Parliament was told.

Revealing this today, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said the king had expressed his wish in a letter about 20 years ago to the then chief secretary to the government.

Nazri said he discovered this letter after a thorough investigation and conceded his mistake in claiming earlier that the six judges were not sacked but forced to retire.

He also explained that his remark in the Dewan Rakyat regarding the 'retirement' was based on the pensions the six judges had received over the last 20 years.

"This (letter from the King) is the thing that I did not know. But I want to say that I regret my statement based on the fact they received pensions," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

Normally, he said, government service pensions will not be given if the civil servants were sacked.

"That is why, I said, 'maybe, maybe they were not sacked because they received pensions'... but it is true, they were sacked.

"I regret my statement has caused some misrepresentations. I did not mean to do as I did not know the contents of the letter," he explained.

The minister added that he would also explain the matter in the House.

'Parliament asked, so we revealed'

The six judges, including former Lord President Salleh Abas, recently received RM10.5 million in ex-gratia payment from the government.

Salleh received RM5 million while former Supreme Court judges, the late Wan Suleiman Pawanteh (RM2 million), George Seah (RM2 million), Azmi Kamaruddin, the late Eusoffe Abdoolcadeer and Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh (RM500,000). 

Previously, Nazri had come under fire from opposition MPs for stating that he did not know the full amount paid by the government to the judges. The government later disclosed the amount.

The minister also drew flak from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who insisted that the six judges were sacked.

Meanwhile, Nazri brushed aside former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim’s contention that the government had broken its earlier promise not to reveal the amount paid.

The minister said the amount had to be revealed because it was requested in Parliament.

"Besides, the money belongs to the people and we cannot make a side agreement (that it should not be revealed). 

"Although we do not have to reveal it but the moment Parliament asked for it, then we must do so," he said, adding that unless the matter involves national security, then whatever that is asked for by Parliament must be disclosed, especially if it involves public funds.

Last Monday, Zaid (left) had protested against the government's decision to make public the RM10.5 million compensation paid to the judges.

"We (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and I) had agreed not to disclose the amount paid," he said.

Decision next week

In a related matter, Bernama reported that the House will decide next week if Nazri should be referred to the Right and Freedom Committee for allegedly giving an untrue statement on the nature of the six judges' termination of service to the Dewan Rakyat.

Deputy Speaker Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he had to go through all the details because the matter involves many implications.

Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) had called for Nazri to be referred to the Right and Freedom Committee, claiming that the minister's statement was a big lie- Malaysiakini.