Karpal hands over Zaki tape to King’s palace official
(The Star) – DAP chairman Karpal Singh had to make do with just waiting outside the Istana Negara to hand over the ‘incriminating’ tape recording of Chief Justice Tan Sri Zaki Azmi’s speech to the Yang Dipertuan Agong.
Karpal, who arrived in a white Toyota MPV at about 4pm Friday waited for about 40 minutes at the palace’s guard post before a palace official went to collect the tape from him.
He spent about 10 minutes in the vehicle before coming out, amidst heavy security.
“I don’t understand why I have been prevented from entering the palace to see the YDPA. I’m only here to hand over the recording,” he told reporters.
Karpal claimed that the tape contained Zaki’s conversation in which the latter admitted to his alleged involvement in corruption.
When asked about the length of the recording, Karpal stated that he was not sure but the recording was enough to be used as evidence.
“I’m also urging the Rulers Council to hold an emergency meeting to reconsider Zaki as Chief Justice,” he said.
“Foreign investors will think twice of coming here if we have a corrupt chief justice,” added Karpal.
In a police report filed by Karpal in November last year, Karpal had stated that:
“In recalling in 1987 when he (Zaki) was in private practice, Tan Sri Zaki stated that he had been ‘blacklisted’ when he complained to the chief registrar of two missing files belonging to his clients adding:
“It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were attended to.”
Zaki, 63, was appointed chief justice by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Oct 18 after getting the consent of the Conference of Rulers.
Zaki, who was the president of the Court of Appeal, succeeded Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad who went on mandatory retirement.
Karpal Singh has given Zaki Azmi one week to resign as the Chief Justice of Malaysia, failing which he would move a motion in Parliament against him under Article 127 of the federal constitution “for having misled the country with his so-called clarification”.
“If what I’ve said is untrue, then I challenge Zaki to sue me and if he dares not, then it clearly shows that what I have said is true,” added Karpal.
He also challenged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to take his statement on his allegations against Zaki.
