The report in Malaysiakini carries a letter written by Loh Mui Fah to Pak Lah on 5th November 2007, some 6 weeks after the Lingam Tape surfaced.
Incredibly, the PM is said not to have given Mr Loh a reply. Obviously sleeping on the job. What was going through the PM and his 4th floor boys' minds?
The 3-men independent panel, headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar, to find out whether the Lingam tape was authentic was set up in late September. In early November 2007, the panel members submitted individual reports regarding their findings. Their findings have yet to be made public.
On 16th November, the PM announces that a royal commission of inquiry on the Lingam video tape will soon be established. He had earlier turned down the rakyat's request for such a Royal Commission of inquiry. Was the letter from Mr Loh the reason for his gostan balek response?
Here we have a man ready to authenticate the tape but the PM still wants a Royal Commission to do so! And what's the use of a Royal Commission of inquiry with limited scope of inquiry. The Royal Commission will start sitting tomorrow and its terms of reference are ::
1. to ascertain the authenticity of the video clip;
2. to identify the speaker, the person he was speaking to in the video clip and the persons mentioned in the conversation;
3. to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the content of the conversation in the video clip;
4. to determine whether any act of misbehaviour had been committed by the person or persons identified or mentioned in the video clip; and,
5. to recommend any appropriate course of action to be taken against the person or persons identified or mentioned in the video clip should such person or persons be found to have committed any misbehaviour.
It was mentioned earlier that the ACA has sent the tape to Spain for a Spanish voice check, to authenticate that the voice in the tape was that of Lingam. With Mr Loh, is it still necessary for this. Waste of good ringgit, many might say.
Our PM is presently on his first 2008 foreign trip. Guess where he is? In Spain, in Spain. Will he be also checking on the rain in Spain as well as the Lingam tape, while he is there?