The central figure in the latest video scandal to hit Malaysia continues to remain elusive.

Just about everyone in the country, including the prime minister, have commented on the issue since the clip surfaced some two weeks ago.

The government has also set up a three-member panel to probe the authenticity of the clip, which was said to be recorded in 2002.

Despite the widespread publicity, VK Lingam has managed to steer clear of the media's radar. Initially, it was said that the senior lawyer was overseas but yesterday, there was talk that he had returned to the country.
However, repeated attempts by Malaysiakini to contact him today proved futile.

At about 5.30pm, when Malaysiakini called his mobile phone, a man claiming to be Lingam's driver answered and confirmed that his boss was in the country.

"He is in a meeting now in KL," said the man, before cutting the line.

Malay daily Berita Harian today quoted Lingam as saying that he was "traveling" when they called him. The lawyer added that he would issue a press statement when he was ready.

It is learnt that reporters from other news organisations have also been hounding him today but it could not be ascertained if he had given any comments.

The staff at his legal firm VK Lingam & Co also claimed to be in the dark as to his whereabouts.

Previous news reports placed the lawyer at various places, with some saying he was in the United States and others, the United Kingdom and even South Africa.

Quizzed by ACA?

Attempts to confirm whether Lingam had been quizzed by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) also proved unsuccessful.

ACA director-general Ahmad Said Hamdan and the agency's investigation director Mohd Shukri Abdull could not be reached for comment while another official from the public relations department chose to remain tightlipped on the issue.

To date the ACA has interviewed two people in connection with the case. These are PKR vice-president R Sivarasa and the opposition party's political coordinator Sim Tze Tzin

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had released the video clip, which made Lingam a household name, during a press conference on Sept 19.

The clip showed the lawyer having a candid conversation with purportedly current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheik Abdul Halim on the appointment of 'friendly' senior judges.

The issued ignited an uproar, with numerous quarters calling for a royal commission of inquiry to look into the slide in the Malaysian judiciary.

About a week after the clip emerged, Ahmad Fairuz issued a denial via de facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz. Ahmad Fairuz, who was the Chief Judge of Malaya in 2002, said that it was not him at the end of the line.

In a related development, the government appointed three-member panel is scheduled to meet at the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning.

It is not known whether any witnesses will be called.

The panel is headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar Mohd Noor. The other two members are former Court of Appeal judge Mahadev Shankar and social activist Lee Lam Thye.

Critics have argued that the panel - which has been given limited terms of reference - is not adequate to get to the bottom of the matter.


SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape