'I am asking fellow Malaysians to not fear the truth as only through the truth can justice prevail', so urged Tun Daim in his statement recently on the Metramac imbroglio. Malaysians do not fear the truth. We always wanted truth and justice but couldn't and still cannot get it.

The public face of what the previous administration sought to do to fast track the transformation of the economy from agrarian to industrial and 'unlock value and spread the wealth effect, plant self-esteem in the hearts of all Malaysians; straddle the world to seek new markets and investments'- as so eloquently summarised by Daim, is well-known.

What is unknown is the extent of abuse of power and high-level corruption involved when this fast-tracking of economic development was principally spearheaded by selected entrepreneurs, obviously appointed on the basis of political patronage and who personally got rich when their companies got poor and had to be bailed out with taxpayers' money.

Where abuses were perpetrated under the national ideology of the NEP and all levels had a share in dipping their hands in the spoils of patronage and every decision for individual benefit and aggrandisement was made under the cover of collective responsibility and national objective, the truth is often an orphan. And today we are no nearer to justice than before.

Which explains why many Malaysians are sympathetic and even grateful to the Court of Appeal for opening a Pandora's box when it delivered in judgment in the Metramac vs Fawziah Holdings Sdn Bhd.

But whilst we have no sympathy for any attempt at muzzling any judge from making comments and are grateful that the court has taken political patronage to task, we are equally unsympathetic to any judge's attempt - by the weapon of contempt proceedings - to muzzle fair criticisms of a court's decision on the grounds of technical, logical or evidential flaws.

Courts too must be held accountable for their actions, no less than public officials including cabinet ministers. Yes, for justice to be done, the truth must be out. But for the truth to be out, there must be freedom of expression and disclosure. This is absolutely important principle in the public as well as nation's interest.

Let's not the freedom to make fair comment be curtailed by contempt of court proceedings any more than the principle of disclosure and public accountability, be upheld.