Zaid grilled over judicial matters

It was not an easy three hours for de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim who was grilled on various issues facing the beleaguered judiciary.
During the second reading of the Judges' Remuneration (Amendment) Bill 2008, several parliamentarians demanded an explanation as to why the quantum of the ex-gratia payment to several former judges has been kept secret.
"The judges involved did not want any publicity or discussion about this. They accepted the payment on grounds that the amount to be kept confidential and I must respect their decision,” Zaid said in his winding-up speech.
"What matters is that they accepted it. Do we not see that this is what they wanted? It is not about the amount but they want their privacy on this matter.”
He also denied that the payment was a bribe to "shut the judges’ mouths" and that the judges were instructed to keep quiet about the sum.
In April, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced at a Bar Council dinner that an ex-gratia payment would be made to acknowledge the"pain and loss" suffered by the suspended and sacked judges' in the 1988 judicial crisis.
The undisclosed sum has been paid to former Supreme Court judges Wan Suleiman Pawanteh, George Seah, Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh, Eusoffe Abdoolcadeer and Salleh Abas (left). In some cases, family-members accepted the payment on their behalf.
Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) was quick to ask if the sum was RM1-1.5 million as has been speculated by several parties.
Zaid denied this, but said the amount would be revealed eventually if the former judges agree to it. He confirmed that the payment came from the government.


tunku: regarding the ex gratia payment, according to zaid ibrahim, government made understanding with the receivers that they will not reveals the amount.if zaid ibrahim or pak lah took out their own money than we will not question the government but it is tax payers money.the public has the right to know. to me the payment is not considered as bribe but more for the good image of pak lah . again pak lah took/used government money for personal benefit.