It is perhaps poetic justice that the current gleefully sensational news in Malaysia involves two cases of alleged corruption in high places, in fact so high that in one case, it borders on high treason. In this particular instance, the culprit is supposed to have released persons whom the police require to be taken out of circulation through the Emergency Ordinance.

The EO has to be relied upon to restrict the movement of these so-called criminals because the police do not have sufficient evidence to charge them in court.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the prime minister has nobly said that the two persons now in the headlines - one, the head of the ACA and the other, his own deputy minister of internal security - need not be suspended from duty or be asked to resign as they are innocent unless found guilty in court.

I have no problems with the prime minister taking this magnanimous stand since our entire judicial system is founded on the fact that a man is innocent until or unless the court finds him guilty.

But is there not a shameful contradiction or a classic case of double standards here? Why are some people put under a form of imprisonment because they are deemed to be criminals while others are allowed to roam free because they are 'innocent unless found guilty'?

The prime minister has no choice but wait, actually he has one. He must either release everybody who is presently languishing at Simpang Renggam or he must relocate the two officials to the same EO camp also. Sorry, Mr Prime Minister, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Or is this an indication that the general election is nigh? Nobody has forgotten that the last time our Master of Elegant Silence instituted prosecution against a high-ranking official, another deputy minister on corruption charges, was just before the last elections, thus leading the gullible public to believe that the long-prayed-for sweep against corrupt politicians and similar vermin had began.

And nobody has forgotten that since then, the Master has maintained an Elegant Silence.

But, of course, nobody has actually been charged yet.