MIRI: The government’s decision in setting up the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe allegations of judicial interference and judicial misconduct made by a Court of Appeal judge, Justice Datuk Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer is lauded.
However, according to a senior advocate of 35 years and also a former Miri mayor, Datuk Lawrence Lai Yew Son, members of the RCI should have been announced immediately.
The announcement of the setting up of the RCI was made by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last month.
“The allegation is serious, and we support the PM’s decision (by setting up the RCI) to investigate allegation filed by the Justice Datuk Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer,” Lai said.
Lai was met at his office here at Jalan Sri Dagang Miri Waterfront on Thursday.
“After it was announced, there were no news, we were left hanging in the air,” he said.
Lai said the announcement of the RCI’s members and its chairman should be made immediately to gain the public’s confidence in the country’s judicial system.
“If the announcement (of RCI’s members) is not made urgently, public will start to ask questions,” he added.
“I want to say as a lawyer, we have a lot of honest judges who are not corrupted, and with his (Datuk Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer) allegation thrown out in the open and until RCI announces its members, the reputation of innocent and clean judges are all under doubt and tarnished,” Lai pointed out.
