High Court Judge Ian Chin has resigned

Justice Ian Chin, the controversial judge from Sabah, who made claims that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had threatened and intimidated judges, has tendered his resignation.

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah told Parliament today that Chin had submitted his resignation to the Yang di Pertuan Agong in a letter dated July 16, according to a Malaysiakini report.

He will step down from Dec 1, 2008. He is on leave from Aug 1 to Nov 30.

Chin, 60, who has served 16 years, is the most senior of all judges in the High Court. His resignation comes six years before he is due to retire.

Murugiah also said that the government has no plans for now to petition the Agong to appoint a tribunal - as provided for in the federal constitution - to determine whether or not Chin is guilty of misconduct.

In June, Justice Chin caused a stir when he claimed that Dr Mahathir had made a thinly veiled threat against the judges at the Judges Conference on April 24, 1997, that they could be sacked if they failed to deliver judgements in the Government’s favour.

He alleged that “errant" judges were sent to a boot camp in an "attempt to indoctrinate them to hold the view that the Government's interest was more important than all else."

Dr Mahathir had denied the allegations saying that the ‘boot camp’ was a tata negara (national creed) work camp and that Chin had absconded from the event.

He also denied ever issuing ‘veiled threats’.