What is the difference between an RM2.50 roti canai telur and a debt of RM42 billion?

 

A lot, really.

 

One difference is that you are assured of facing the full might of the law if you sell the 'roti telur' for that price.

 

If you don't believe me, just ask the owner of a famous 'nasi kandar' restaurant in Bukit Jambul in Penang, who found this out when the outlet was raided last Saturday by the enforcement division of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry.

 

The correct price should be RM1.80, it seems.

 

Now, compare that to the progress of the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) investigation into 1MDB to find out if there was any mismanagement that led to the sovereign wealth fund's massive debt of RM42 billion, and you will get what I mean.

 

This has irked a colleague of mine who told me that I should write something about it.

 

He was of course talking about the "soft and nice" treatment received by 1MDB president and executive director Arul Kanda ( photo, left ) and former CEO Shahrol Halmi, who were slated to testify before the PAC hearing earlier this week.

 

The duo asked for a postponement of at least 30 days to prepare the information and documents that PAC requested.

 

If there is a provision for them to get an extension of time to testify, I suppose they are entitled to request for it.

 

However, it appears that they are doing it to buy time, for reasons only they can explain. As it is, the information and documents are already there.

 

The whole country wants to know where they went. Arul and Shahrol need not worry, though.

 

None other than Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself came to their defence and said they will appear before the PAC and won't run away.

 

So much privilege for some people.

 

I am not saying that you should not take action against the restaurant for its over-priced roti telur.

 

Just be fair to all. The law must come hard on everyone.

 

All we can smell now is the injustice and double standards, not the roti .

 

Crime and punishment

 

On the issue of justice, I would like touch on the topic of crime and punishment.

 

At a press conference on Wednesday, Hindraf highlighted another incident of death in custody.

 

In this case, 22-year-old Shashikumar Selvam allegedly hanged himself at Kluang Prison.

 

Death in custody is nothing new. Hindraf - both the registered and the unregistered one - have raised this issue on many occasions.

 

Hindraf said Shashikumar was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for stealing rice and sardines.

 

If that is true, I do find the sentence to be shockingly excessive and extremely unfair.

 

Anyone in their right mind will tell you that the sentence given to Shashikumar just did not fit the crime.

 

Apparently, due to poverty and illiteracy, his grandmother, Sushilarani ( photo ), could not engage a lawyer to defend him, or do the mitigation before the sentencing was passed.

 

Since Shashikumar was a first-time offender, he could have got a lighter sentence, or even better, bound over for good behaviour if he had some legal assistance.

 

Such provisions are provided under the Criminal Procedure Code.

 

You can't blame the prosecution either. The DPP would have asked the judge: "Saya pohon satu hukuman yang setimpal (I pray for a just and appropriate sentence)."

 

We can say that the judge has been harsh in his sentence. But what is the point really?

 

Now, Shashikumar is dead. Such a waste of life? Where is the justice for him?

 

What double standards?

 

Now let's go to another issue of the week, the issue of double standards.

 

In a parliamentary written reply, the Home Ministry said the Royal Malaysia Police has never implemented double standards and that the force is not selective in its investigations and actions.

 

This is the answer given to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) when he asked the government to explain its double standard practice against the anti-GST protest held on March 23 and the church protest held at Taman Medan on April 19, where both groups practised their constitutional right to gather.

 

Truth must be told. In the course of my duties, I have met and associated with many honest and dedicated police officers.

 

Some of them go out of their way to help others, without expecting anything in return.

 

Just like in any other profession, you have the good cops and the bad apples.

 

But to say that the police force has never practised double standards, I just don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

We deported a boy

 

Lastly but not the least, this is a case about a boy. Very influential, but still a kid.

 

The Home Ministry described the deportation of 18-year-old Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong ( photo ) as a matter of "national security".

 

Wong was detained and deported. Yes, let me repeat, he is aged 18 years. Must be some kind of record.

 

Shhhhhh! Just so you know, according to a Bernama report, Malaysia remains China's largest Asean trading partner for six consecutive years.

 

Could China be the reason why? I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Oh yes! Just another week of injustice and unfairness.

G JEGATHESAN is a member of the Malaysiakini team.