Judge opens Pandora’s box

Ian Chin details humiliation at boot camp to soften them to take orders of previous administration

SIBU: High Court Judge Datuk Ian Chin continued to make explosive disclosures in the Sarikei parliamentary election petition mention yesterday, exposing how judges sent to the boot camp were made to go through punishment and humiliation so that they would be softened to take orders for the benefit of the former administration.

Chin delivered a 16-page statement after the one he made on June 9 that astounded the nation. It was alleged that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had exerted undue influence upon the judiciary to make it decide in the government’s favour.

Chin said he was sent to a boot camp for that.

In yesterday’s statement, Chin went on to reveal further details of what had happened in the camp.

Chin said for the participants, the objective was “to make us take orders and that is why apart from what I have said earlier in the last sitting, a junior officer was made our leader, from whom we have to take orders, and one Sessions Court judge who disagreed with that was made to publicly apologise on a podium to his junior officer leader”.

Chin added that “another method was to chisel away the view we held of how independent we should be in our job as High Court judges, and this they did by punishing or humiliating a High Court judge by making him carry a brick all the time after he broke the egg which each of us must carry wherever we went, including marching.”

Incidentally, he said: “You surrendered your wallet, your air ticket and handphone when you checked into the camp, and you cannot go anywhere, as it is in an isolated place, and you cannot leave for anywhere, as there is no transport.

“You are totally cut off from the outside world, with no newspapers or television.”

He said only selected news were conveyed to them then for the purpose of sampling reaction, like the news that a certain party had won a by-election, which elicited some applause from some young officers.

He said two of the judges left, one because of illness and the other because of his wife’s illness.

“Everyone who was not otherwise sick had to remain, and we all did save for the duo, with each given a certificate after the end of the stay.”

During the mention which started at 4pm, Chin started by saying he had prepared in advance yesterday’s statement and had emailed a copy each to the lawyers.

“In case I meet with an accidental death, both counsels have agreed that this statement would be regarded as having been pronounced in court,” he said.

Chin also mentioned in his statement about him being condemned for his June 9 statement with allegations made that he took the opportunity to speak up because he thought Dr Mahathir was responsible for blocking his promotion.

He went on to say that he had never wanted such a promotion, as it was his wish and that of his wife to return to Sabah so that they could be with their children.

He also mentioned about the alleged veiled threat by Dr Mahathir that he disclosed in his June 9 statement. He then went on to talk of the events in the boot camp.

Chin ended by saying that he had never wanted a promotion, “not before, now or in the future, nor any appointment after his retirement”.

“What do I get out of all this, knowing very well that I will be the target for vilification? It is this: I must be able to sleep well after I retire, knowing that I have done all I can, like all the crucified judges before me, to tell Malaysians the danger they are in, regarding the state of the judiciary.”

Raymond Tan
The Borneo Post
25/06/08