INTERVIEW Though it is often claimed that the Judiciary normally makes judgments in favour of the federal government, recently retired Chief Justice Zaki Azmi insists that the facts speak otherwise.

If one goes through all the cases brought against the federal government, Zaki said in an interview with Malaysiakini, one will find that the government lost more cases than it won.

"The best example is the Felda (Kemahang 3) case. Do you know who the Felda chairperson is? The prime minister. Amidst the hoo-ha, they cannot afford to pay the money. I made the decision. I gave RM11 million to the settlers," he said.

Zaki explained that when he presided over the matter in the Federal Court, the Felda lawyer had failed to attend the (High Court) proceedings and that was why the settlers won the case in the first place. Hence, he said, Felda should sue its lawyer.

"I received feedback (from the government, which asked), how could I arrive at such a decision, but I replied that that is the law," he said in the interview conducted last week.

Full story: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/176304

Camera/Editing: Tan Jiun Wuu