We are being let down by the very people who are entrusted to safeguard our rights. My prayers are with R Subashini . As for her husband and his actions, words fail me. Confronted with divorce proceedings he sees conversion as a full-proof response. Better still convert a son. Double protection. And conveniently for this - the syariah recourse.

The questions that scream out are: who accepted the conversion? Where was the consent for the 11-year-old son? Why was the mother's consent not obtained? Conversions need the consent of the family according to well-known Islamic scholars. Asking Subashini to seek redress at the Syariah Court is to say the least, illegal. Actually the Syariah Court or the authorities should declare the conversion of the son as null and void.

In this case, there was only one judge who counts. Justice Gopal Sri Ram is clearly what we need more of; character, integrity and moral fiber apart from wisdom and ability. The other two did the obvious. Subashini's lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and his partner are indeed a rare breed.

Malik Imtiaz is a true blue Muslim lawyer standing up for a fellow Malaysian who happens to be a non-Muslim. He is a bridge to the great Malaysian divide - between Muslim and non-Muslim, bumiputera and non-bumiputera. The reason why our legal system still has some credibility is due to a few good men like justice Gopal Sri Ram, Malik Imtiaz and Karpal Singh.

But we are losing it. Decay is setting in. Reason is deserting us. There are too many dead men and women walking, and they are wearing the robes of authority.