(Only got answer today.)
Government paid RM81,965.75 for Bar Council dinner at five-star hotel!
Perbahasan Rang Undang-undang Saraan Hakim (Pindaan) 2008 Di Dewan Rakyat di bentangkan oleh Menteri Di Pejabat Perdana Menteri YB Senator Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim.
Soalan oleh YB Tuan Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] pada 16 Julai 2008.
Soalan:
Berapakah jumlah perbelanjaan yang dibiayai oleh Kerajaan untuk Majlis Makan Malam yang dianjurkan oleh Majlis Peguam pada 17April 2008?
Jawapan:
Jumlah perbelanjaan yang disumbang Kerajaan bagi Majlis Makan Malam tersebut adalah RM81,965-75. Majlis tersebut dihadiri oleh kira-kira 630 orang dari sector guaman, badan kehakiman dan badan-badan lain yang terbabit.
Majlis tersebut diadakan bagi mengumumkaqn komitmen Kerajaan terhadap pembaharuan (“reform”) dalam sistem kehakiman Negara dan bagi mengatasi persepsi negative yang memblelenggu badan kehakiman semenjak 1988. Langkah ini merupakan sebahagian daripada usaha jangka panjang Kerajaan untuk memperkukuhkan serta memulihkan kredibiliti sistem kehakiman Negara.
Note:
On 16-07-08 I questioned YB Senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim how much did the government spend for the Bar Council’s Dinner at JW Mariott Hotel on 17 April 2008. He told Parliament that he could not remember the cost of the said dinner and that he will give me a written reply in the next few days. There was no reply from the said Minister and I had to table a question on this subject. This late afternoon (18-08-2008) I received this reply.
You will also note that the said dinner was organized in the name of the Bar Council. The said dinner was organized within a very short time of about a week. Not all members of the Malaysian Bar were invited. Only those friendly guests of the PM and the Bar Council high ranking official were invited.
During the said dinner, the PM announced that the government will set up a Judicial Appointment Commission to take care of all promotion and appointment of judges and other judicial reforms. Massive publicities were given to the announcement. YB Senator Datuk Zaid also came up with several press statements about he said judicial reform in particular the Judicial Appointment Commission.
As usual, sometime in July 2008 the Cabinet refused to set up the promised Judicial Appointment Commission and carried out other judicial reforms. Of course, the Bar Council leadership was being made used of by the BN Government by allowing the said dinner to be held under the name of the Bar Council to suit the BN’s agenda.
Perhaps, the Bar Council leadership can be proud that they have managed to get the BN Government to pay RM81,965-75 for the dinner at a five star hotel!
