YOURSAY 'Why is it that many Malaysians are clapping at his symbolic act of showing the middle finger to the judiciary?'

Shoe-throwing imam jailed one year for contempt

Ferdtan: Can we get the shoe that the imam Hoslan Hussain threw at the judges to be kept in a museum after Pakatan Rakyat succeeds in taking over Putrajaya?

The act was so like Iraqi broadcast journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi , who threw his at the then US president George W Bush.

He shouted when he committed the act, "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people". Imam Hoslan should have said at that instant: "This is a farewell kiss from the Malaysian people to all the bad judges".

We agree what the imam had done was wrong. But his motive was not. He was frustrated with the seemingly lack of justice accorded to a simple man like him.

We would like the judges to stop for a minute to reflect on his action and think hard (if they are honest enough to think unbiasedly) - why despite his wrongful deed, he has many Malaysians clapping at his symbolic act of showing the middle finger to the judiciary?

Are Malaysians so lawless that we not only tolerate but cheer his act that came from his convictions? No. It is the fault of the judiciary. With all its bad judges, it has lost all respect from the rakyat.

That is why we sided with the imam when we should have come to the defence of the judges.

Using the own words of the self-righteous judge (Suriyadi Halim Omar) who called the imam a proud, uncouth, riak (self-absorbed) and violent man - what about your many fellow judges who intimidated and collaborated with the government for political exigencies?

Who is worse?

Lim Chong Leong: Hoslan is no more in contempt than the very judges who bring disrepute to the bench.

Those who copy judgments, those who write unintelligible judgments, those who bend and twist to suit their masters bidding, those who go to holidays with lawyers, those whose wives own huge construction companies...

You know who you are, we know who you are.

Cala: Of course, the act of shoe-throwing is something not to be condoned, especially when we are talking of maintaining some semblance of dignity in a court of law.

The issue, as rightly argued by many, is really about the severity of punishment meted out. Should he be jailed for one year for showing disrespect to judges?

Obviously the harsh treatment to be inflicted on iman Hoslan may be explained by Robert Putnam's five principles of political elites.

First, political power is distributed unequally. Second, people are divided into two groups - those with political power and those without. Third, the elites are internally homogeneous, unified and self-conscious.

Fourth, the elites are drawn from a very exclusive segment of the society and are self- perpetuating. Fifth, the elites are essentially autonomous and they answer to no one else.

In this case, iman Hoslan is punished for challenging an established system. That is all.

3rdForce: The judges lost their dignity twice that day.

First, when the righteous shoe went in their direction. Second, when they failed to take immediate action on a blatant contempt of court, and instead pleaded that the incident not be reported.

The subsequent actions were as Cala put it rightly - to punish this angry man for challenging the system.

Liew Lean Kut: Guilty as charged - that is expected. Hoslan had shown his displeasure to the court and subjected the judges to shame and he has to pay for his action.

Now the judges must sit down and ponder why this sort of affair has come to pass.

Is it that the integrity of the court has been compromised? Why is it that there is a lot of negative news about the courts of justice?

In the meantime, this man's family needs help. Because of his spontaneous show of anger, his wife and children have to suffer.

SimpleSimon: While we don't condone such actions, but I do feel the pain and frustration of imam Hoslan. He did his honourable duty by exposing the corruption and misuse of funds in the mosque.

The sentence would put his family in dire straits financially. Let's all do a good deed by contributing to his family.

NX: Could someone credible organise an account which is accessible only by the imam's wife? The rakyat of all races and religions will support.

Forget the kangaroo judges in Bolehland, their judgment will be torture in hell for all eternity together with the thieves in BN and some in Pakatan, too.

Swipenter: Maybe his wife has a bank account. Someone can get in touch with her and let her know that many ordinary Malaysians are behind her husband and would like to help the family out in their hour of need.

We must stand together united as Malaysians to fight for social justice and what is right for our country and society.

Dark Knight: To protect the eminence and dignity of the courts? While the Federal Court expects the imam to behave as Islam expects him to, the whole nation is praying that the judiciary will dispense justice as judges have sworn to, irrespective of the government of the day.

But these judges, whether at the High Court, the Court of Appeal or the Federal Court, are kangaroo judges. Malaysians have lost confidence in them.

Citizens, complainants and litigants are so frustrated that slippers and sandals thrown at judges not only reflect the sense of injustice, it is a verdict about BN's mismanagement of the economy and the destruction of the pillars of democracy and its institutions.

Jean Pierre: With one voice, the learned judges have made the imam an icon. The imam and his Immaculate Shoe will live long in the history books of the New Malaysia.

Lbl: At first, there was no charge against him. After the public outcry, action was taken. What is wrong with our judicial system?

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