An opposition leader has defended retired High Court judge Muhammad Kamil Awang, who in recent weeks had received a verbal lashing from several government leaders, including the Prime Minister, over his written judgment on the Likas election.

In a press statement today, DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang said the judge who retired on Monday had rightly clarified that his criticism of the government service was merely an opinion from his personal experience.

On June 8, the judge made headlines when he ruled that the Likas state election in Sabah two years ago was null and void on the grounds that the electoral roll contained 'phantom' voters.

Muhammad Kamil had also revealed to the press about a phone call he received from a judicial superior who 'directed him to drop the case'.

Following the revelation, former chief justice Eusoff Chin admitted that he was the caller but insisted that his directive was to expedite and not drop the case.

In his judgment, Muhammad Kamil had also noted that many government departments did not respond to letters and public complaints.

Lim argued that what the judge said in his judgement, "reflects the frustrations of ordinary Malaysian men and women about an increasingly bureaucratic and unresponsive public service".

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had recently accused the judge of "tarnishing the image of the judiciary" but the premier's remark generated a barrage of criticism from those who saw the judgment as a step towards judicial independence.

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim defended the Prime Minister's right to remark on the misconduct of judges.

Rais was quoted as saying, "Muhammad Kamil's comments has damaged the effort by my department to rehabilitate the image of the judiciary."

'Most ridiculous'

In his press statement, Lim took both the prime minister and Rais to task saying, "It is most ridiculous for Mahathir to blame the judge when it was under his premiership that the judiciary suffered its worst crisis of public confidence," he said.

Lim claimed that the judge should be commended over his judgment although there could be debates as to whether he should voice his opinions from past experiences in the judgment.

"Was the judge not correct when he expressed concern that a worrisome trend had evolved in Malaysia where public institutions or government departments do not care to respond to letters or reports from the public, and that this is the very antithesis to good governance?" he questioned.

"Rais should raise this matter in the Cabinet to ensure this 'worrisome trend' is nipped in the bud instead of trying to gun down Muhammad Kamil," stressed Lim.

He said Mahathir's and Rais's silence on the 'gross impropriety' of the former chief justice who called up Muhammad Kamil had aroused public suspicion as to whether the Executive is committed to the strengthening of the judiciary.