24th August 2025
THE VOICE OF PATRIOT
THE VOICE OF PATRIOT
The Unjustified Removal of a former High Court Judge Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid
By Coerced, Forced Resignation.
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This is an appeal and a petition to rectify the unjust removal of a High Court Judge.
On July 1, 1996 an upright and extremely conscientious High Court judge was coerced into submitting his resignation letter because he was found to have written a lengthy 33-page which detailed wrongdoings in our judicial system.
The contents of the then HIgh Court judge’s anonymous letter were never investigated because that would have revealed very troubling facts and features of a tainted judicial leadership. It would seem that the government of the day decided it was best to coerce the judge to resign than to face the reality of investigating a top judge. The prevailing wisdom seemed to be ‘ shoot the messenger’, and disregard the message.
The judge who wrote the letter, Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah is now in his mid-80s and several episodes of judicial misconduct and misdirection have come to the nation’s attention since 1996. There has been one notable Royal Commission of Inquiry into the ‘Lingam Tapes’ chaired by a retired Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Noor. The proceedings of its hearings revealed startling facts about the nation’s top judicial personalities. It would seem there was not only corruption but corporate capture with its concomitant common criminal manifestations in the administration and dispensation of justice. It would seem it was not possible or simply deemed not prudent to pursue any investigation into the allegations and assertions of Dato’ Syed Ahmad in 1996. Why was this so?
Some reasons can be considered.
After the unfair, unjustified and unwarranted removal of Tun Salleh Abas and two other Federal Court judges in 1988 the government’s propaganda and public relations narrative wanted Malaysians to believe all was well with the judiciary.
The judiciary itself, after the episode of Tun Salleh’s removal believed they had to decide matters in consideration of the prime minister’s particular preferences than the Constitution. The judiciary, at least at the highest levels, began to believe in its unquestioned authority, ability and indisputable role. An infinitesimal number of corporate captains that were close to the high political leadership cultivated judges of the highest levels to assign particular judges to suit certain circumstances.
The infamous V K Lingam became essentially a go-between and go-getter for corporate interest and became indiscreetly boastful about his inflated access and authority.
This V K Lingam episode must be seen in a larger context.
The larger picture was that Malaysia had stated inn1991 that developed status would be achieved by the nation by 2020. In February 1997 it was declared that Vision 2020 would actually be realised well before that date. This was the make-believe world narrative in 1995/96 as three years earlier the World Bank had commended Malaysia’s entry into the newly industrialising category of nations just below the miracle economies of Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. To achieve that momentous ‘ miracle’ status any country would need a clean, competent and classy judiciary. Dato’ Syed Ahmad Idid with his damaging assertions became the proverbial fly in the ointment and had to be removed.
It is ironical that in September 22, 2022, the country’s 9th prime minister informed the United Nations General Assembly that Malaysia’s GDP had contracted by 5.6 percent in 2020! Malaysia is therefore still very far from that distinguished developed country status.
What Dato Syed Ahmad Idid did was to courageously express the defects in the system of jurisprudence administered by some top tainted judges. He did it in earnest to assist the nation in creating a judiciary of integrity. Dato’ Syed Ahmad ‘s assertions ran counter to the nation’s prime minister’s powerful narrative of moving rapidly to developed nation status.
With this background in view would the Madani Government with its emphasis on compassion consider restoring Dato Syed Ahmad’s rightful pensions, gratuities and other dues. To have acted so harshly in coercing his resignation was unacceptable and unjustified but at that time we had in place an upbeat prime minister who tolerated no obstacle to his promised developed country status.
Today almost thirty years later we must belatedly recognise the courage and commendable action of Dato Syed Ahmad Idid who had realised in the mid-1990s that the judiciary was compromised and would not self-correct itself. His only concern was that the judiciary should be a pillar of strength in the country’s progress. In any democracy a judiciary of independence, integrity and impartiality is paramount.
PATRIOT seeks the understanding and compassion of PMX’s Madani Government to rectify an injustice done to an upright man of the law with unalloyed loyalty and patriotism to the country.
On behalf of Patriots, I humbly seek the Prime Minister’s intercession in this matter.
Lt Col Dato’ Zaraizlah Mohd Ali (Rtd)
President
Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan
Date: 22 August 2025
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