The former CID director Mat Zain Ismail is correct that Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and the former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan perverted justice in Malaysia. Mat Zain Ismail, however, missed mentioning a crucial fact. The perversion of justice in Malaysia began in earnest under the rule of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir sacked good honest judges. Mahathir also eliminated trial by jury. It was the elimination of trial by jury that made possible ‘Sodomy 1' and the conviction of Anwar Ibrahim.

It is the present lack of trial by jury that looms over ‘Sodomy 2', another fabricated case which now threatens to return Anwar Ibrahim to prison.

The perversion of justice in Malaysia has turned the nation into a police state rife with corruption and crippled Malaysia's development in all areas - social, economic and political.

The police no longer play their proper role in society, instead they are thugs who maintain the status quo of exploitation of Malaysia by a corrupt government.

Current police operations are an example of both how low justice in Malaysia has sunken to and how the police in Malaysia wield power far beyond police in any civilised state.

Abusive police may be a boost to the ego of some officers but how does it affect society?

The innocent victim suffers, possibly pain and emotional anguish. The family, friends, relatives and colleagues of the victim suffer emotional anguish. The family of the victim suffers loss of income.

Society suffers the loss of someone who contributes in many ways, through work, buying a car, buying a house, buying food, clothing, newspapers. The government suffers loss of a taxpayer and voter.

What emotionally enables someone to abuse another human being? It is lack of empathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand and appreciate the feelings of others. Without empathy, people view others as mere objects, not human beings.

Not acknowledging others as human beings with feelings enables people to treat others with cruelty, ragging in schools, cheating people, lying to them or beating them as in the case of some bad policemen.

Malaysians need to develop empathy at all levels of society, including amongst the police. How can that be done? Some people have ideas about how to teach empathy, Malaysians should take serious consideration of those ideas.

An example of teaching empathy can be found here . It could be a step forward for Malaysia, a nation that badly needs steps forward.