The Straits Times

THE acrimony between former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and a High Court judge has just got worse.

Dr Mahathir yesterday told a press conference that the judge was 'trying to save his skin' by running him down, two days after Justice Ian Chin described the former premier as a 'devil incarnate'.

The two men have been trading barbs since the judge two weeks ago accused Dr Mahathir, when he was prime minister, of threatening to sack judges who did not toe the government line.

Mr Chin accused Dr Mahathir of sending judges to a 'boot camp' to indoctrinate them into delivering verdicts favourable to the government.

The former premier hit back, saying he did not issue any threat against judges and that the so-called boot camp was attended by thousands of civil servants without any complaint.

On Tuesday, Mr Chin attacked Dr Mahathir in open court during a hearing on another matter.

'Dr Mahathir for what he had done and for what he is trying to do is a devil incarnate but to those who had suffered under his hands, even that description may be rather complimentary,' online newspaper Malaysiakini.com reported.

Mr Chin also took offence at Dr Mahathir who said there was a police report made against the judge for hiding his past when hearing a certain case.

'Dr Mahathir, by waving the supposed police report the way he did, lent support to the generally held view that this prime minister kept a docket on everyone useful but with a skeleton in their cupboard so that he can manipulate them on pain of disclosing the skeleton,' he was quoted by Malaysiakini as saying.

He also attacked an unnamed serving judge who had told a newspaper that Mr Chin was bitter because he thought his promotion was blocked by Dr Mahathir.

Mr Chin said this was the same judge who in 1996 had parked himself behind Dr Mahathir's seat when a group picture was about to be taken.

'To my disgust, this judge quickly planted himself behind the chair where Dr Mahathir was to sit and when Dr Mahathir was about to be seated, this judge declared: 'Sir, I am always behind you.'

'It was disgusting even as a joke as it reduced the dignity of the office of a judge,' Mr Chin said.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir fired back by giving details of a case in September 1999. He contended that the judge should have excused himself from the case because he was an interested party.

'I think he is trying to save his skin. He thinks that by running me down, demonising me, he would be favoured by the government and no tribunal would be set up to dismiss him,' he told reporters.

'The public should question how a person such as Chin should have been recommended to become a judge. I cannot remember recommending him,' Dr Mahathir said.

The public spat has further tainted Dr Mahathir's legacy while throwing the legal system deeper into disrepute.

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