PUTRAJAYA: All 50 copies snapped up within 20 minutes. That was how long it took to sell copies of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip, when it was put up for sale for the first time yesterday.

Representatives from law firms, the Bar Council, private companies and members of the public started making a beeline for the Prime Minister's Department as early as 2.30pm.

Leading the pack was Datuk V.K. Lingam's counsel, R. Thayalan, who had ordered 25 copies of the 998-page report. But due to the overwhelming demand, only 10 copies were given to his firm.

It was reported earlier that copies of the report would be sold at RM541.30 per copy, beginning at 3pm at the department's Corporate Unit of the Legal Affairs Division yesterday.

By 3.20pm, all the copies were taken up, much to the disappointment of others who also turned up early.
A spokeswoman said copies would still be made available to the public. They can contact 03-88851059 for more information.

"They should call us to make a booking. It will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis," the spokeswoman said.

She added that 50 copies would be sold daily during working hours from 8am to 5pm.

Except for Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was given three copies, other Cabinet members were given a copy each on Friday.

One of the lucky ones yesterday was Normah Mohd Noor, 30, who works in a private company.

"I do not mind spending money on the report since it has generated so much interest.

"And it also involved so many prominent people."

She also said the move to make the report public only indicated transparency and openness of the present government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The introduction in the report stated that the issue of the video clip, which surfaced in the Internet on Sept 19 last year, created a chain reaction in the public domain and spread like wildfire across the Malaysian landscape.

"It became a common topic of conversation and gossip, the judiciary was shaken and the legal fraternity was alarmed.

"So was the government, indeed, so was the whole country," the report said.