COMMENT | Rome was not built in a day but we have waited 32 years. From 1988, the country has suffered from a massive public trust deficit with the judiciary.

A series of dramatic events - sacking and suspending of Supreme Court judges, constitutional amendments to reduce judicial power, active political interference in judicial appointments - have made it hard for Malaysians to see the judiciary as a body of independence and integrity.

We have longed for this, and we are getting close.

Before 1988, our courts were well respected, and scandals and allegations of impropriety were little to none. The judiciary received its first onslaught when Mahathir was dissatisfied with the judges’ decisions against his government. He orchestrated heavy-handed tactics against the judiciary which culminated in a constitutional crisis...