YOURSAY | ‘We've all seen it before, only to be disappointed at the end.’
Decisions against gov't a sign of courts asserting independence?
Anonymous_1372741039: Malaysians salute the courageous courts for their rulings on several cases that saw unfair and unjustifiable prosecutions.
Equitable judgments must not be construed as going against any one or the government, but done in the name of justice.
There is hope yet if the judiciary upholds justice, even if it means going against the government.
The nation would have failed if such ugliness is permitted to prevail, instead of being abhorred.
Headhunter: Don't count on it too soon. We've all seen it before, only to be disappointed at the end.
For every brave judge we have, there are many out there who are allegedly ever-willing to sell their principles, including those already holding high positions.
CS: Yes, it's too early to make a conclusion. Independence of judiciary has to be consistent always, or most of the time.
All those mentioned cases where our judiciary is seen to be independent can be considered not so serious and do not have impact on the government as well as on Malaysian Official 1 (MO1).
There are other serious cases, such as Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy cases, 1MDB alleged money-laundering, Teoh Beng Hock's alleged murder and single parent conversion cases where the verdicts did not prove impartiality of our courts.
SSG: I will reserve judgment until we reach a period in Malaysia similar to when Onn Jaafar, the founder of Umno, was fighting for independence. When all three races cared for one another without bringing race and religion into the picture.
The year 1981 was when one man changed the course of Malaysian history from being a relatively "prosperous" country to one that is now a described as a relatively "poor" country. Let this old man have a long life so that he can see, with his own eyes, what havoc he caused on the simple people of Malaysia.
Chinese then-premier Zhou Enlai (Chou En Lai) was once asked by Henry Kissinger in 1981 what he thought of the French Revolution (which had occurred some 200 years earlier). His reply was, “It is too early to say.”
So let this man know that his repeated denials that all the wrongs we are seeing only happened after he left as PM, that his words ring hollow. I do also believe that such a period will not come in my lifetime.
Rupert16: All the above-mentioned cases brought by the government were frivolous, to say the least.
It's simply intimidation tactics by the powers-that-be to silence the opposition and critics, which, by their very actions, are a threat against parliamentary democracy, to quote the same words used by the Twitter-happy inspector-general of police (IGP) when arresting those brave people who dared to voice and speak out against the government's alleged poor leadership, incompetency and corruption.
Appum: I reserve my judgment until a huge test case is seen, until the current attorney-general (AG) is removed and his position is made answerable to Parliament, and until the judges and AG are appointed and selected by an independent commission or body, not through the recommendations of the PM.
Tok Karut: Judges should have no fear. In the next GE, lawyers should revive their reformasi campaign on independent appointment and removal of judges as well as getting the AG to be answerable to Parliament.
The late Raja Aziz Addruse, ex-Bar president, began that campaign with the Bar from the time of the judiciary scandal during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's regime with the sacking of judges, including Salleh Abas, the Anwar sodomy saga and the non-elevation of upright judges.
Anonymous_1390303981: These cases and judgments only show the enforcement authorities’ lack of knowledge on the rule of laws or alleged abuse of power.
This simply means that the enforcement authorities need a major clean-up as they have nothing to do with the court of law.
Anonymous_1401773638: It’s time that those in the government be made to pay for their incompetency. Other professionals are made to pay if they fail in their duties of care.
The series of decisions against the government show that those involved are allowed to go free, without any penalty.
All these cases show how important a free and independent judiciary is to the country.
JD Lovrenciear: When the government of the day appeals an acquittal, it speaks volumes of desperation, really.
To argue that it is a right enshrined in liberty only sounds even more desperately hollow. But these are desperate times for desperate people.
Justsean: One swallow does not a summer make.
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