There apparently are no valid reasons why the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration should not immediately move to restore the independence of the judiciary which existed before the 1988 judicial crisis. There's also no reason why Parliament should not restore the power of the Agong to refuse to approve certain laws passed.

It's really a very straightforward issue. These institutions provided checks and balances against the excesses of the executive and if the current administration is sincere in its desire to undo the excesses and imbalances created by the previous administration, it should proceed to do so without hesitation and in the interest of the nation. What is the current administration afraid of?

Article 18 of the just released summary of the Interim Constitution Draft of the Kingdom of Thailand (2006) guarantees judicial independence. You can read that in full on The Nation's website .

Hopefully, it won't require a military coup to achieve that here.