Sometimes, I wonder if people who comment on certain matters actually take the trouble to look at what the real situation is before making their remarks. From Wong CT's letter ('Judge's extraneous remarks taint judgment', June 28), it sounds as it he made his 'judgment' without actually reading Datuk Muhammad Kamil Awang's full judgment. Or maybe he based his remarks purely on what Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

For his benefit, and others, I attach the last few paragraphs of what the judge actually said, here below. The emphasis is mine.

"I seize this opportunity to record a few observations that a worrisome trend or culture , not borne out of Malaysian culture, has evolved where public institutions or government departments do not seem to care to respond to letter or reports received from the public . Such letters or reports seemed simply ignored, invariably no response or acknowledgment or receipt whatsoever has been made, for example, from personal knowledge in a few cases; where my son had applied for a temporary work permit which was refused, and I wrote an appeal to the authority concerned; and in another case, my daughter had applied for a scholarship for a one-year post graduate course. In both cases there was no acknowledgment despite reminders, although earlier on, personal assurances of favourable consideration had been given. Regrettably this is the very antithesis to good governance in as much as a threat to the government's effort to foster food relationship and integration between East and West Malaysia.

"It has been said that a government is a trustee of the people, and being elected by the people, it owes a higher responsibility to the people. The government must act honestly and responsibly.

"The only guide to a man is his conscience, the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and the sincerity of his action. In my view, it is an insult to one's intelligence to be given a directive over the phone that these petitions should be struck off without a hearing, and above all, it is with prescience consciences that I heard these petitions. God has given me the strength and fortitude, as a lesser mortal, to act without fear or favour, for fear of a breach of oath of office and sacrifice justice, and above all to truly act as a Judge and not a 'yes-man'.

"In conclusion, I would declare that the 1998 Electoral Roll for Likas Constituency (N13) is illegal, and that the election held in March 1999 for Likas Constituency is null and void. I will inform the SPR of this decision in due course."