Judges sacked 20 years ago paid off
Two decades after six top judges were suspended then sacked for insubordination, sparking the judiciary's biggest scandal, the government has offered ex-gratia payments to surviving judges and their families in an attempt at closure.
Three of the surviving judges rejected the payment while two judges, and the family of one who has since died, accepted the money, believed to be sums of between M$900,000 (HK$2.16 million) and M$1.5 million.
The money is compensation, though not an official apology, for loss of income they suffered for being unceremoniously removed from their Supreme Court posts in 1988.
They were sacked after hearing a legal challenge by opponents of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who won the presidency of the country's ruling coalition, United Malays National Organisation (Umno) by just 43 votes.
The judges, and the family who accepted the payment, have been required to sign a deed absolving the government of all liabilities.
Salleh Abbas, 81, who was the head of the judiciary at the time, and two others had told the government last week they rejected the offer.
'We would prefer a full and open inquiry into the tragedy and compensation if necessary as a better way to close the chapter,' he said.
'The people should know what really happened.'
But law minister in the prime minister's department, Mohamad Zaid Ibrahim, said the three judges had not rejected the offer, and the government had given them time to consider accepting the payment.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had opened the way for partial closure of the issue last December when he expressed regrets, but stopped short of offering an apology.
He also at the time rejected an independent inquiry into matter.
After Dr Mahathir's win to head Umno in 1988, his political opponents alleged cheating and took the matter to the Supreme Court to have the election declared void.
The application was pending before the Supreme Court when six of the nine judges who approved an inquiry into matter were put before a tribunal, tried and sacked.
