Pressure is mounting on the government to set wide and comprehensive terms of reference for the royal commission of inquiry into the 'Lingam tape' controversy.

The National Human Rights Society (Hakam) joined calls for the terms to be "wide enough" to allow for consideration of the implications arising from the issues raised in the tape.

"The need for a sufficiently comprehensive mandate has been made more pressing by the fact of the police reports lodged by VK Lingam's brother, KV Thirunama Karasu," Hakam president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said in a statement today.

Malik, a lawyer, said the police reports have underscored "the apparently inappropriately close relationship" between Lingam and the judiciary, while the nature of the allegations "strongly suggest corruption".

According to him, some of the implications touch on how judges are appointed and promoted, the government's interference beyond its permitted involvement under the Federal Constitution in this process and whether the brokering of judicial appointment continues.

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang was the first to urge the government to draw up terms of reference that go beyond the 'Lingam tape' and look at the larger issues affecting the judiciary.

The Malaysian Bar - which represents 13,500 lawyers - has also proposed several terms of reference for its members to discuss in a motion to be passed at their extraordinary general meeting tomorrow, according to English-language daily The Sun today.

This includes a call for the commission to enquire into and determine the involvement of all parties mentioned in the video recording, the nature of their dealings and actions carried out by the judges named in the recording, especially on the basis of their appointments and promotions.

Apart from this, the body also wants the commission to study the general appointment and promotion of judges, including its procedure, methodology and criteria.

The government agreed to the setting up of a royal commission last week. It is believed this was based on the main recommendation of the initial panel of inquiry, which had probed the authenticity of the tape released by PKR on Sept 19.

The clip showed senior lawyer Lingam allegedly discussing the appointments of 'friendly' judges to the Bench with then Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, who retired as chief justice on Oct 31.

While Lingam has yet to comment on this, Ahmad Fairuz has issued a denial through de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

'Not these individuals'

Malik further said the commissioners to be appointed must be persons who are not only capable of fulfilling their heavy responsibility, but who must also be objective and could ensure public confidence in the inquiry.

In this regard, Hakam listed those whom it deems to be unfit to sit on the commission:

  • Any chief justice since Hamid Omar, including Hamid himself

  • Retired judges who served under (former chief justices) Eusoff Chin, Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah and Ahmad Fairuz

  • Any judge currently serving

  • Any person closely connected with the current or previous (Dr Mahathir Mohamad's) government, including the former attorney-generals

  • Any person who might be perceived to have grievances against the government or the judicial administration in the period from 1988, including Salleh Abbas and any of the judiciary members penalised in the 1988 attack on the judiciary

    • Cabinet discussion

    The weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today discussed only general matters related the royal commission of inquiry.

    Speaking later to reporters in the Parliament lobby, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said the commission and its details are important.

    Therefore, he added, it is only right that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should make any announcement on this.

    Abdullah is currently in Singapore to attend the Asean Summit.

    Asked whether the cabinet had discussed the composition and the terms of reference of the commission, as widely anticipated, Nazri said neither issue was touched upon.