Lim Kit Siang has demanded to know the reason why the government has not made public the report made by the independent panel tasked with verifying the authenticity of the Lingam tape.

He told a press conference in the Parliament lobby today that "two questions immediately come to mind" after it was decided that cabinet ministers will be given a copy of the report to come up with recommendations on possible actions.

"Firstly, why wasn't the report made public immediately? Why must the ministers read the report first to find out whether it is good or bad for the government before deciding whether it should be made public?" asked the opposition leader.

"We should follow the best international practices of countries which fully practice accountability, transparency and integrity where such inquiry reports are made public the same time they are submitted to the appointing authorities," he said.

Secondly, Lim asked why should there be another three-man ministerial committee to study the report on the Lingam tape.

He was referring to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz's announcement that three senior ministers have been appointed to study the independent panel's report.

The three ministers are Nazri, Home Affairs Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad and Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Dr Rais Yatim.

Nazri said that they were given the task due to their legal background and because all three had been in charge of law affairs in their ministerial portfolios.

'No need for legal background'

Lim said that one does not need to have legal background or experience in the Cabinet in charge of law affairs to decide what is right and proper to be done on a question of accountability, transparency and integrity.

Quoting a news report from New Straits Times which stated that the independent panel has agreed that a Royal commission of inquiry should be established, Lim said: "Why then is the prime minister and the Cabinet dragging their feet in immediately announcing in principle to establish the commission, unless they have things to hide?"

The panel, headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar Mohd Noor, was formed by the government to verify the authenticity of the clip featuring senior lawyer VK Lingam in a phone conversation purportedly with then Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

Lim also urged the cabinet ministers to prove that they are not half-past six and are capable of doing the greatest service to the nation by establishing a Royal commission of inquiry into the video clip.

"The commission must be given full and untrammelled powers to delve into the deep-seated causes for the decline and fall of the independence, integrity and quality of the judiciary in the past two decades."

SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape