Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim believes that it is the BN government that must apologise to those victimised in the 1988 judicial crisis and not former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“An apology must come from the government of that day. It was an action of the government, not an individual,” Zaid told Malaysiakini.

He said this when asked to comment on the call by several quarters for Mahathir to apologise over the crisis which had occurred during his time as prime minister.

Asked whether it was fair for Mahathir to absolve himself of any responsibility, Zaid said it was not a case of whether Mahathir took responsibility or not.

“Because it was the BN government that was responsible,” he insisted.

Zaid refused to pin any blame on Mahathir, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail of Johor or former attorney-general Abu Talib Othman and instead said that “we should move on”.

The former Umno minister, however, believes that the BN government will never apologise over the crisis.