ACA should investigate the content of the video clip and the persons mentioned in it instead of targeting whistle-blowers.

This was the message to the anti-corruption agency today from the Steering Committee to Free the Judiciary, an ad hoc umbrella group comprising various rights organisations.

In a statement, the committee lambasted the ACA for its ultimatum - expose the whistleblowers, or face jail - issued to PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah and Sim Tze Tzin, an assistant to Anwar Ibrahim.

It said such an act is unacceptable as the ACA should be protecting whistle-blowers instead of targeting them.

"The source of the video clip should not be the ACA's utmost concern. The ACA should quickly called in the persons mentioned in the video, as they have been implicated in very serious allegations of corrupt practices and abuse of power," said Yap Swee Seng, executive director of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) - the secretariat organisation for the umbrella group.

As the ACA is generally not able to protect whistle-blowers, Sivarasa and Sim have every right to protect the sources of the video clip and they have been proven right by the ACA's action, he said

Both Sivarasa and Sim were served the ultimatum by the ACA at the agency's office in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 4.

However, they have decided not to reveal their sources unless a royal commission is set up to probe into the infamous Lingam tape.

Politicallly motivated

Yap felt that the ultimatum was a threat and likened it to a politically motivated act to serve as a warning to other potential whistleblowers and human rights defenders.

He also said that this trend of targeting whistleblowers and human rights defenders will bring about a chilling effect and discourage others from coming forward and exposing the wrong doings of influential officials and businessmen.

"If the ACA is serious in combating corruption and salvaging whatever little credibility and confidence it still retain, it must immediately revoke the threat of prosecution against Sivarasa and Sim and protect whistleblowers.

On a related matter, the committee also expressed concerns over the state of the judiciary and cited the recent expose of the Lingam tape as evidence of corruption in the judiciary.

They also felt that the appointment of judges has long been a controversial issue which lacks transparency and a clear application of universally accepted principles.

The committee also voiced out their demands, namely the immediate suspension of Ahmad Fairuz as the chief justice and to set up a tribunal to try him under Article 125 of the Federal Constitution

The other demands are the setting up of an independent royal commission of inquiry to investigate the overall state of the judiciary and an independent Judicial Commission on the appointment and promotion of judges.