(AFP) A High Court judge who complained he had been pressured to drop a politically sensitive hearing was urged today to name the person responsible.

Param Cumaraswamy, the United Nations special rapporteur on judicial independence, called on high court judge Muhammad Kamil Awang to disclose the name to authorities.

Rais Yatim, minister for legal affairs, made a similar request yesterday.

Muhammad Kamil last Friday ordered a member of the ruling coalition to vacate his seat in the assembly of the eastern state of Sabah, ruling that the electoral roll is tainted with "phantom voters".

The judge, in his written judgement, also said he had earlier been given a directive over the phone that petitions from two defeated candidates contesting the result should be struck off without a hearing.

The judge did not say who gave the directive but said he was determined "to truly act as a judge and not a 'yes man'."

The disclosure has sparked a furore in Malaysia, where critics of the government say judicial independence had long been under threat.

Similar directives

Cumaraswamy said in a statement he had heard of similar directives being given to judges in other cases but this was the first time in recent years that a judge had exposed such interference.

He praised Muhammad Kamil's courage but said he should "in the public interest to promote and protect judicial independence, report the incident and disclose the name of the caller to the competent authorities for full investigations."

Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah said it is up to Muhammad Kamil to decide whether he discloses the identity of the caller.

Describing his comment as "a very serious allegation", Mohamed Dzaiddin said it was not for him to direct the judge what to do "because the allegation formed part of his judgement."

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday it was difficult for the government to interfere in the judiciary because it was an independent body.

The Bar Council - which represent 9,600 lawyers - has urged police to investigate the reported phone call to the judge, saying obstruction of justice is a criminal offence.