VOXPOP 'Yes, return our money, but at the same time those who committed criminal acts must be charged.'

Nazri: Shahrizat's family should repay RM250mil loan

Armageddon: Just like that? Return the money and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family are free.

You mean you can rob a bank and if you are caught, just return the money and you are automatically innocent.

Where did Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz Nazri study law?

Lover Boy: Nazri, you still don't get it, do you? A barrister from Lincoln's Inn, and you come out with that statement: "Return the money and all is well".

Hello, the RM250 million loan is for the NFC (National Feedlot Centre) project to make Malaysia self-sufficient in beef.

It is not a personal loan to the Shahrizat family. That RM250 million did not drop from the sky, it is the taxpayers' money.

Elements like CBT (criminal breach of trust) are involved. Even if they want to repay to the government, it is not possible. You know why? In Malaysia, to get that sort of money you have to grease those who approved the loan.

I bet you if you were to check, out of the RM250 million, a portion went towards kickbacks. The problem is, Shahrizat's family are being used as the whipping boy. But it's the government which is answerable to this fiasco.

Anonymous: Yes, return our money, but those who have committed criminal acts must be charged.

Whether they are the people who approved the release of the money or the people involved in the scandal, all have to face the music. But knowing the BN style of governance you can just dream.

Kingfisher: Nazri's remark about Shahrizat's family paying money back and that she need not resign her ministerial position is quite revealing about his lax values on ministerial accountability.

It will be inconceivable to the majority of Malaysians how an ordinary Malaysian citizen without any business credentials in question could have gained from the government such a significant soft loan without necessary persuasion/support from vested persons/groups.

Jeremy Ng: This Cowgate scandal is not just about Shahrizat and family. The more serious issues are on how this was project given out and why was there no control in the utilisation of the funds.

BernieBaby: Some of the money was used to buy property in Singapore and other countries. These properties have risen in value, so even if they were sold to pay back the loan, it would be profitable for Shahrizat.

I think it's better to throw them in jail, confiscate the property and auction them to the highest bidder. Profits can be used to fund proper schemes to help the rakyat.

James Dean: Now Nazri has admitted on behalf of BN that this government treats those who steal differently. If you are a member of a cabinet minister's family who stole millions, all will okay if you just return the money.

But if you are just an Ahmad, Ah Chong or Muniandy, you will be sent to jail and rot there for having to steal just to feed your family.

Church arsonists' jail sentence slashed

Gen2: They nearly set the whole nation on fire and RM500,000 of taxpayers' money was needed to repair the physical damage, not counting the damage to the relationship between the races.

Were they required to go to the church and apologise to its members publicly? No. Did they even express regrets? No. Were they required to repay the RM500,000? No.

In the light of these facts, I think 10 years would be more appropriate.

Onyourtoes: Based on what was written here, the court has taken into consideration the age of the accused, they were first-time offenders, no one was injured and the government has spent RM500,000 to repair the church.

If this case is like any other ‘normal' case, then I must say probably all these factors are relevant. But is this a ‘normal' case?

Has the court considered the irreparable racial and religious disharmony it could have caused? If they had, and still consider a two-year sentence is sufficient, then so be it.

Shanandoah: They should have added a few strokes of ‘rotan' (cane) for the brothers instead of reducing their jail sentences.

A good measure of the ‘rotan' would have taught these fellows a good lesson and be a deterrent to others.

Kairos: It's okay to forgive. The Appeals Court did not free the culprits. They are still guilty. The verdict was upheld. The two ‘rajas' are a shame to their race and their religion.

At the height of the whole incident, I remembered that many of our Muslim friends also condemned the act and even formed vigilante groups to patrol the churches. That was commendable.

So it is incumbent upon us now to exercise some mercy and grace. Two years is long enough.

Anonymous_4144: I wonder what sentence Jesus would have passed on these kids. "Forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing." Jesus would have forgiven them. So why don't we?

Swipenter: The sentence should at least be upheld if not increased because their criminal action would lead to racial /religious strife thereby endangering the whole security and well-being of the nation.

Their intention was to inflame the Christians but they did not succeed. Just because they are young and first-time offenders are poor reasons to mitigate their sentence.

The government's RM500,000 compensation to repair the church is even a lesser reason to reduce their sentence.

Jesmine: It's a sad day for justice in Malaysia yet again. If it was a mosque that was burned down, the sentence would take into consideration of possible racial unrest and the maximum sentence would have been given to the culprits.

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