Karpal: Haul up Dr M for contempt

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad should be hauled up before the royal commission into the ‘Lingam tape’ for ‘contempt against its members’.

In a statement today, DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh argued that Mahathir’s views in his blog post yesterday contain “disrespectful and insulting language”.

“I am surprised that, as a former prime minister, Mahathir has gone beyond the limits and latitude of criticism of the report of the commission,” said Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP.

The royal commission has named Mahathir as one of six prominent personalities who warrant further investigation for allegedly compromising judicial integrity.

Responding to this, Mahathir claimed that the commission possibly was set up “in order to find something to pin on me, to drag me to court etc and generally humiliate me”.

The ex-premier also said the five commissioners “may have been instructed to pin something to pin on me”. He further argued that a royal commission is not a court of law, and is not supposed to sentence and judge people.

On this, Karpal said Mahathir’s criticism has breached several provisions and could be deemed as disrespectful under the Commissions of Enquiry Act 1950.

“As in a court of law, its judgment can be criticised, so long as it is in a language that is sober,” said Karpal, who is also a senior lawyer.

“However, to attribute to judges ulterior motives in handing down a judgment, clearly, amounts to contempt of court. This principle equally applies to proceedings before a royal commission.”

Urging the commission to reconvene to act on the matter, he said that, if no action is taken, “a precedent will be set and royal commission of enquiry could be held in contempt with impunity”.

“The fact that the proceedings of the royal commission have concluded does not absolve Mahathir from punishment for committing contempt by use of disrespectful and insulting language against the member of the commission,” he added.

Karpal and Mahathir have kept up a running battle based on differences of political opinion. On May 19, Karpal referred to Mahathir as a “gutter politician” after the latter quit Umno as a lifetime member.