In 2000 former CJ Eusoff Chin said that he bumped into VK Lingam on the way to a NZ zoo

Eusoff Chin quoted on 18 Jan 2008:



KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Retired chief justice Tun Eusoff Chin told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the controversial Lingam video clip Friday that he allowed lawyer Datuk V.K.Lingam to tag along with him and his family on a holiday trip to New Zealand in 1994 despite then holding the number one post in the judiciary.


"I bumped into him. He wanted to tag along with me. It is not my problem. How can I stop him?" Eusoff said.

Eusoff said Lingam, who was also in New Zealand with his wife and two daughters, told him that he wanted to come along with Eusoff and his family during their stay in New Zealand.

He also said that Lingam and he took the same flights during the holiday as well as stayed in the same hotel at one point in New Zealand, and took five to 10 photographs together.

"Everywhere I went, he wanted to take pictures with me. How can I stop (him)?" said Eusoff, adding that he (Eusoff) even obliged everybody, including students, who wanted to take pictures with him.

Ranjit Singh also asked whether Lingam had gotten hold of Eusoff's holiday itinerary and planned the trip just to be close to Eusoff.

Eusoff answered: "I can't say what he (Lingam) was thinking but Justice Datuk Edgar Joseph Jr, who had just come back from New Zealand, told me that it was a nice place to visit.

"I then asked my secretary to contact the travel agent to arrange a trip for me for a week or so. However, he (Lingam) wanted to tag along. It was out of my control."

Eusoff Chin in 2000:


Chief Justice of the Federal Court Mohd Eusoff Chin said today he had paid for his holiday in New Zealand in 1994 where he "bumped" into lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam.

He said he was on the way to a zoo when he met Lingam who tagged along and later posed for photographs with him

(Source:Eusoff: I paid for NZ holiday
Ruslaini Abbas,7 June 2000
The New Straits Times)