update 12.30pm, 30/6: It appears that with extremely heavy heart and reluctance, I must add YAB Lim Guan Eng to the list of people to whom the post below applies :( I’m shocked that someone who has suffered terribly from malicious false charges himself could toe the “leave it to the police” line. I’ve always held him in high regard, this is unbecoming :( Not to sow any sort of discord, but his dad is much more on the ball, seems like.
I’d like to respond to some things written by Wong Chun Wai:
It’s best that this matter be left to the police. Let’s watch from the sidelines.
and my old friend Rocky:
My advice (to those who aren’t yet fanatics) is still the same: let the police investigate the claim. If it goes beyond that, let the courts hear the case.
After all, don’t we have a more credible judiciary now? A more credible police force? A more courageous civil society movement? A freer and more democratic Press under Prime Minister Badawi.
Go ahead and call me typical of such ‘fanatics,’ but I think these comments deserve some thinking through. I say these based on the merit of the comments, and not with anything personal towards the commentors, at least one of which I have only friendly thoughts for.
I completely understand and sympathise with their main gist: let’s not start taking to the streets right now and burn tires.
Fine. Agreed. Reasonable.
I hate rash behaviour, and I have ever believed that reason must prevail above fury.
I want, however, to examine some ideas contained in the words from a rational standpoint:
Watch from the sidelines, because we have faith in a more credible police and judiciary?
I hope you will understand if I quote personal experience in not putting a whole damn lot of stock in either the police force or the judiciary.
Let’s start an examination of who makes up our judiciary and police force, what is the calibre of those upon whom that credibility is based?
Current Attorney General: Abdul Gani Patail - the man who prosecuted the case against Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.
Current Inspector General of Police: Musa Hassan - the investigating officer in the case against Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.
Let’s not forget that the majority of sitting judges presently were appointed by ex Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz, of Lingam tape fame.
You want us to sit back and let these buffoons find the “truth?” The same police force that just forced detainees to perform oral sex on one another? The same prosecution team that kept changing the dates of Anwar’s first alleged sodomy case? The same court that refused to throw out the testimony of Azizan Abu Bakar, no matter how many times he changed his story in court?
No, I don’t think that’s exactly the answer.
We shouldn’t take justice into our own hands, that’s the last thing I’m saying here.
What I’m saying is that we cannot leave it to institutions whose integrity has been systematically compromised, corrupted, and crushed under decades of executive interference, to determine what is true and just.
Let us with discerning consciences seek the truth, and remain ever vigilant.
(For more incisive writings, try Malik Imtiaz and Li Tsin)
Although it’s cliche, let’s not forget what happens if we fail to stand up for justice whenever and wherever it is compromised:
“When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.”
- Martin Niemoller
Tags: Law Enforcement by Nathaniel Tan
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