It is time the government set up a commission of inquiry on the abuse of power during the time when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the prime minister of Malaysia.

On Commission on Mahathir's abuses needed

Onmu Martin: I think Dr Mahathir should be investigated for his clear abuse of power when he was PM of Malaysia. He was very heavy-handed in putting a lot of his enemies under ISA detention and he doesn't seem to be remorseful about his actions which caused a lot of suffering for the detainee and their families. He still thinks that everything he did was right and he is very arrogant. It is time the government set up a commission of inquiry on the abuse of power during his time as the PM of Malaysia.

After all, he has challenged the government to take him to court. So why not take up the challenge unless we are all still afraid of the Old Tiger? Let us take up the challenge and tell the Dr Mahathir that after all these years, his karma has caught up with him and he is not really that great and infallible. Let us give Dr Mahathir his on taste of medicine.

Andrew: Those calling for a commission to investigate Dr M's abuses while he was the PM forget that Malaysia is a democracy with a PM and cabinet answerable to Parliament. It is immaterial that the cabinet ministers are ‘yes-men’. All are collectively responsible.

If there is going to be a commission it should not be to investigate Dr M's abuses (which is becoming personal) but the government while he was the PM. All the abuses must be the collective responsibility of the then cabinet ministers and if they are some who are still ministers today, they should resign.

Lilian Tan: As each day unravels, the ugly abuses perpetrated by our former PM with regards to subverting justice become clear. We the rakyat must put pressure on the government to investigate and bring him to court. If our government chooses to do nothing, the rot caused by legacy will just continue and worsen.

Already we have seen the former menteri besar of Selangor thumb his nose at the public by challenging anyone to prove any wrongdoing on his part during his tenure. This is because Khir Toyo - and so many of our ministers and officials in high positions - are confident that nothing can happen to them as long as the father of them all remains unscathed despite such overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.

At this point, the issue of restoring our judicial system has gone beyond asking the government to apologise for the dismissal of the Lord President. To settle for just this would be like putting a band aid on a gangrenous limb.

So, yes, an apology is in order, but we must insist that our government go farther. Taking Mahathir to court would be a real step in the right direction. It will also constitute a real desire on the part of the government and the Malaysian people to root out the corruption and manipulation of our judicial system.

Crime Against Humanity: If what Param Cumaraswamy says about Mahathir has any indication of truth, should Mahathir not be tried for crimes against humanity? After all, human rights is about humanity. I am not a lawyer but an ordinary rakyat but the legal brains of our beloved country should consider this option.

Yow Lop Siaw: The tribunal was directly responsible for removing the Lord President – hence, any initiative or action to be planned must address the tribunal. If the truth is what is being sought, then a royal commission should be set up so that the whole truth could be unveiled. This commission should be able to ascertain the part played by our previous PM, if there was any. In this way, the whole issue could be addressed and put to rest subsequently.

A royal commission on this matter would also pre-empt future attempts to interfere with the judiciary, especially if the judiciary is restored to its rightful role as an independent institution, as supported by Raja Nazrin. People would then have confidence living and doing business in Malaysia, especially foreigners.

More Transparency: By not having a royal commission of inquiry, it is allowing the perpetrators to continue with their old way of life and for people to doubt the integrity and transparency of the government.

As Dr Mahathir himself has suggested, qualified foreigners should be invited to carry out the investigations (because he claimed that most people by now, have lost faith in the judiciary system) and it should begin with his case.

Brushing aside a serious allegation of this nature will not help to restore public confidence in the country’s judiciary system, and definitely would not do justice to Dr. Mahathir himself, nor the IGP or the AG. Mahathir, who wants to prove himself innocent, has given the challenge that such investigations should be conducted by independent investigators.

Please, would someone moot the institution of a royal commission of inquiry? If the case of VK Lingam had reached that level, there is nothing more serious as an allegation against the former prime minister that should be brushed aside in one statement.

The Silent Saint: The Tun Dr Mahathir issue has surfaced once again and many including the judiciary are demanding for a royal commission of inquiry. If the commission clears the Tun of any misdeeds, he would remain as the most outstanding prime minister in the chronicles of Malaysia. If such an inquiry is not conducted, the Tun's image will remain tainted and tarnished.

Augustine Basnayake: Since there is so much of talk and argument over Dr Mahathir's role as an elected dictator who did so many wrongs and manipulations, I suggest that all the newspapers and magazines conduct a poll among their readers to find out if a commission of inquiry should be initiated by an independent group of persons to discover and record and report to the Malaysian public the truth of Dr Mahathir's governance.

After all I am absolutely certain that people like Karpal Singh, Param Cumaraswamy, Anwar Ibrahim and many others directly or indirectly affected will be willing to 'clear the air'. No need for threats of criminal action if anything is disclosed, time itself will show the way to restitution for both sides of the coin.

On Gov't will not apologise to Salleh

Richard Teo: How does the Barisan Nasional government which suffered a titanic defeat in the recently concluded 12 ^th Gen. Election seek to initiate judicial reforms when it cannot even bring a proper closure to the 1988 judicial crisis over the sacking of Salleh Abas as Lord President and George Seah and the late Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh as Supreme Court judges?

If Prime Minister Abdullah’s refusal to apologise remain steadfast, then it is unlikely there will be any significant judicial reform. Abdullah's stand is indeed perplexing. The judicial crisis of 1988 happened during Mahathir's tenure and he was the prime mover for the formation of the tribunal to dismiss the Lord President. If Abdullah had agreed to the apology, he would have shown his genuine resolve to reform the judiciary.

The fall guy would be Mahathir and he (Abdullah) would have everything to gain and little to lose. But to refuse the apology would merely cast a serious aspersion on his statement that he would aggressively pursue reforms. Once again this unusual decision by Abdullah has brought serious doubts as to his leadership qualities.

Michael Ng: Like many Malaysians, I cannot fathom why the present government is not in favour of an apology to the judges who were unceremoniously sacked in the 1988 judicial crisis. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zaid Ibrahim was definitely right in proposing to the cabinet that an apology from the government should be given so that this shameful assault on the judiciary by our PM's predecessor can be closed once and for all.

However, it was pleasing to read that the PM did mention that the government will try to make amends to the former Lord President and the two other judges. An excellent way to heal the wounds of this regrettable incident in our nation's history is for the government to be magnanimous by restoring the full pensions of the three judges backdated to the day they were sacked.

This is the least the government could do in view that the three judges are now advanced in age and it will give subtle hope that the government feels their anguish and would try to right any wrongs in the absence of a formal apology.

If and when the government has a change of heart later on and decides that an apology is long overdue, please do it while the three judges are still alive and well and not wait until their 'broken hearts' are beating funeral marches to the grave.

On UIA student charged for involvement in general election

Lim Teck Wyn: I'm distressed that the Barisan Nasional government has chosen to charge local university students for being involved in the recent general elections. This is hypocritical because the BN actually encouraged some students to participate in its own campaign. During the elections, BN used students from overseas universities such as 19-year old Mellissa Lee (University of Melbourne) in its nation-wide TV blitz and on the parliamentary campaign trail.

Now the BN is practising double standards by coming down hard on local students including Azlan Zainal (Universiti Malaya) and Meor Isfandy (Universiti Islam Antarabangsa) for being involved in the Parti Mahasiswa Negara. I support calls for the universities and the police to drop all actions against the students and suggest that the Universities and University Colleges Act be amended to respect students' rights to expression and association.

On Gov't to act on Islamic conversion rows

Nicholas Chin: I would like to say that the proposed filling out of forms is yet another example of the government missing the point completely.

It is not the conversion of individuals that has the people worked up, but rather the very fact that the state is meddling in what should be a private affair - in this case, religion. It does not matter if one is Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or what have you. The fact of the matter is that one's relationship with God is just that and nobody else’s. The government especially should have any say in it.

Have the Dark Ages and the concept of separating religion and state not taught anybody anything?

On Azmin: BN MPs ready to cross

Joseph Khor: Is Malaysia going to be a country that no matter what the rakyat ’s, the political parties will negotiate among themselves? How can PKR ask BN MPs to cross-over? I always supported PKR and asked my friends to join me but after this incident, I wonder if PKR is really any different from Umno.

Thomas Cranmer: Frogs are good for democracy. They work both ways and under a PR government, members may well switch to BN should PR fail to live up to her promise. Whilst an election forces the government to respond to the people only once every few years, frogs can jump any day of the week which allows them to respond to disillusionment amongst their constituents as soon as it occurs. Please view these brave politicians with favour and support their entirely democratic actions.

Wan: I am Chinese but I understand enough to feel the word ‘Pakatan Rakyat’ is not suitable because of its bad connotation. I suggest something else like ‘Parti Rakyat Bersatu’ or ‘Parti Semua Rakyat’ or ‘Parti Rakyat’ or ‘Parti Rakyat Bersatu.

On Thrown out of school because they were 'foreigners'

Edward: It may sound very sad and sickening but I think that the headmistress was not wrong.

Imagine if foreigners are taking up space of your children in school, how? Is it fair for foreigners to enjoy the benefits that are given to Malaysian children? Indonesians are fast becoming the second largest community in Malaysia and I think that this is a very dangerous situation.