Reforms meaningless if Zaki is appointed CJ, says Husam - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: April 20, 2008

The Government should not promote Tan Sri Zaki Azmi to the post of Chief Justice if it is serious about reforming the judiciary, said PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa.

He said it was bad enough that the Government went ahead to pick Zaki as Court of Appeal president despite objections from Opposition parties.

He added that Zaki, having been a member of the Umno disciplinary panel in the past, was not politically neutral.

“So if he is promoted to Chief Justice, then the proposed reforms would be meaningless, because it (the Judiciary) would still obviously appear to be controlled by political affiliation,” he said yesterday.

“That is the first thing the Government should look at.”

The Chief Justice post will be vacant later this year when Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad’s term, which was extended by six months, comes to an end. Zaki is next in line.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced extensive measures to reform, and restore confidence in, the judiciary, including the setting up of a judicial appointments commission to make the process of nominating, appointing and promoting judges more transparent and representative.

Husam said the party was happy that the Government had tried to make amends for the unjust sacking of former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas in 1988 by giving him a goodwill ex-gratia payment in recognition of his services to the country.

He suggested the Government appoint Salleh as a governor of a state as a mark of respect.

“It is good how the general election results can change the way a government governs,” he said, noting that there were no attempts at reforming the Judiciary before the election.

On a different matter, Husam said PAS had not given its blessings to any of its leaders to hold talks with Umno on forging Malay unity.

He warned party leaders against engaging in talks with Umno, saying they would face disciplinary action.

“During the election, Umno whacked us like hell in Kelantan. Why do they want to talk about Malay unity now? If they were sincere they would have done it before the election,” he said, adding that in a multi-racial, multi-religious country like Malaysia it was bad to divide society into Malays and non-Malays because “we must be just and fair” to all.