I refer to the Malaysiakini report ‘The dangers of judicial corruption'.

Many Malaysians share William Leong's views and no doubt will be looking forward to reading Tay Choo Foo's book ‘Lawless'. But don't expect them to be shocked because a royal commission into judge-fixing and our observations of Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial have already exposed the questionable conduct of those in the Judiciary.

Lawlessness is not only when society breaks down in anarchy but can occur without any apparent civil disorder. Such lawlessness is worse than open chaos. Victims often suffer in silence without redress and recourse to a public hearing because the system is stacked against them while the perpetrators enjoy impunity.

For law-abiding citizens who believe in the rule of law and rely on the judiciary to be a house of justice, any hint of a tainted system is unacceptable, let alone the blatant incidents of judicial impropriety.

Judicial corruption is well known in Malaysia since the Lord President was unceremoniously and unfairly sacked in 1988 and judges have had to face their dilemma every time they preside over a politically-connected case, thanks to the one who corrupted the judiciary, the Father of Dilemmas and his retinue of corrupt judges and high officials who left their posts, beckoned to his call and bent to his will in his heyday.

Improper conduct of those upholding the law

The dangers for society are not only the corruption of the judiciary but every public institution. Which public institution in Malaysia has not come under the thumb of the politicians who abuse their powers and subject everyone to their lawless ways? Is that not why we read of improper conduct by those who should be upholding the rule of law?

The police force has been demoralised and reduced in some instances to acting as nothing more than henchmen for the politicians. It was refreshing to read of a former senior police officer damning those who are corrupt and calling for their accounting. For all their faults, I still believe there are good and honest cops.

Watching student leader Adam Adil being assaulted in front of a police station must have been a more painful experience for bystanders and those who saw the YouTube clip of the incident.

Those policemen should not need an invitation to enforce the law, for it was exceedingly clear the perpetrator was attempting to commit criminal assault on the hapless student. This is no way for an older person, supposedly a policeman not in uniform, to abuse a young student that way. It makes you wonder what they do to those in their custody, hidden from the cameras.

Another troubling problem is the failure of the government to separate its political and administrative roles.

A government should not be politicisng its role when acting in its capacity as the Executive. When governments play politics while performing their executive functions, they risk being accused of abusing their powers.

A government is not synonymous with the political party that runs it. As an analogy, the managers of a public company do not own the company but are its professional managers. Likewise, a political party in power does not own the government and can do as it likes without accountability or limits. If you are a steward, you don't behave as if you own the place or what is entrusted into your safeguarding.

We're conditioned to think gov't owns the country

Sadly, over the years, the people have been conditioned to think the government belongs to one political party, and worse those in power think they own the country. But now more and more Malaysians realise that no one has the perpetual role in government and least of all, one that has had more than its fair share of innings in power.

It is not only time for change, but change is past overdue.

After 54 four years, the people have seen some decent development, albeit having to pay for them, for example high and elaborate tolls and various taxes, but sadly there is also a more disappointing fragmented society, a cabinet including allegedly corrupt ministers, a new class of racist and religious extremists and subversives, a former country leader and PM-destroyer who gives new meaning to retirement from politics, countless ‘illegal citizens' and ‘phantom voters', families struggling to make ends meet and a litany of other problems.

Real progress has been confined to only certain groups of people and the majority of Malaysians still struggle to eke out a living and make ends meet. Raising the average income to about RM1,500 is a joke, just like Bob Hawke promised there will be no poor child in Australia when he was in government.

It would be cowardly of Malaysians to not face the truth and realise their country is not speeding toward the promised high-income economy but to a furtive future as the managers help themselves and violate the people's trust in questionable and flagrantly corrupt dealings.

The promises do not match the reality.

It is time for all politicians to choose who they will serve, even as Malaysians are soon to be asked to choose who they want to govern their country.

Crooks masquerading as politicians

That crooks are masquerading as politicians and legitimising their crooked ways through the corrupt political patronage system will only result in an impoverished nation and the birds will have flown when people realise they have been robbed.

I was tickled to read a Harakah article describing Abdul Razak Baginda turning over a new leaf. It is not the time to exploit religion for what is a matter of plain morality. You don't need to be religious to be moral but it will give you the motivation when you supposedly see the light.

There is the story of a tax collector who, upon conviction of his sinfulness by Jesus, not only publicly confessed his wrongdoings but offered to make restitution and to pay back four times what he had unfairly extorted from the taxpayers.

Will Razak Baginda set the record straight and do what is right, not only in the eyes of his God but the Malaysian public? I hope so, because those who repent must produce fruit in keeping with repentance. I hope the report is reliable because there is no future for those who are corrupt and who corrupt others.

Every God-fearing and country-loving citizen has a moral obligation to expose any wrongdoing that is at the expense of other people because to conceal such crucial evidence and let the innocent suffer is tantamount to criminal and moral culpability.

We speak out for those who are unjustly treated because we are our neighbours' keepers and we have a moral obligation to seek justice for them. The one we help is all that matters when we don't know who or how to help. It is better to be an enemy than a friend of injustice.

There can never be a future for any corrupt politician because their wrongdoings will inevitably catch up with them, sooner or later, and while they may think themselves esteemed with their ill-gotten gains while alive, they leave their children and children's children a cursed legacy.

Meanwhile, I applaud NECF leader Reverend Eu Tong Seng for his bold statements and wise decision to not change that which is not changeable and the wisdom to know the difference by deciding to not comment further on what he has stated clearly in his recent speech.

There are desperadoes out to bait others and create mischief for their political masters and Christians are used to persecution and being victims of slander and injustice, and wise enough not to provide the fuel for others to burn them.

So far as it is possible, they are to be at peace with those who do them wrong. Any fool will quickly quarrel. People who do nasty things to others only hurt themselves and will rue their stupidity in more sober moments.

There is virtue in not casting pearls before the swine and whatever is not clear will be made clear in time, but that does not preclude concerned individuals from having their say in a responsible, candid and honest manner in the public arena. Reasonable people debate but unreasonable people threaten and coerce.

When the choice is between good and bad governance, the task of picking who to vote for becomes simpler. Who wants more bad governance and more corruption?