YOURSAY | 'Where is your evidence of political persecution?'

Zahid calls on the judiciary to provide ‘fair justice’ to Najib

Vijay47: While Deputy Prime Minister cum Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement was made at the Umno general assembly, an annual event looked upon by many in the population with much contempt and even more amusement, my comments here are in the main addressed to Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

The honourable chief justice, since your ascent to your office, the judiciary has been viewed with a level of respect and admiration once thought unlikely.

You have given us hope and trust, the assurance that the court will undertake its responsibilities unmindful of the personalities standing before it.

Yet within your firmness, you have displayed compassion and gentleness, exercising discretion to the benefit and relief of the accused.

Some of the accused appear in court in fashion-house garments while others are decked in less elegant orange or purple. Some must serve sentence forthwith despite appeals lodged, others are granted a stay.

Much of this is to the dismay of many, but all accept it as obviously in accordance with judicial prerogative. And what have you received in return? Portals have reported that you suffered personal threats, and the impartiality of your judges has been questioned.

The latest is Zahid demanding that former premier Najib Abdul Razak, who shamelessly delights in being called Bossku, be given “fair justice”, openly accusing the court of bias.

Political statements and playing to the gallery may be tolerated, but not when they impinge onto the honour of the judiciary through gross disrespect.

Najib has gone through every level of due process and every bench has found him guilty. Yet admirers of this “national embarrassment” continue their attack on our judges.

It is past time, madam, for you to act vigorously against this blatant assault on the court’s dignity and to let everyone know that tolerance has its limits and that judicial kindness should not be mistaken for weakness.

If Malaysiakini could be fined RM500,000 for an offence perceived to be far less serious, what should befall those who assail the judiciary itself, its chief justice, and its judges?

Newday: You have backed yourself into a denial corner for how many years now? Many. Political persecution is not defined by the theft of billions from our coffers with the jailed one in charge of everything at the time. The paper trail is seriously overwhelming. The cover-ups by the “persecuted” one are even more so.

Scream persecution as much as you like. The courts have had their say. A federal review is all that is left in this sorry saga. It would take a massive leap of faith to believe the “persecuted” one has any chance of success.

If he fails, will you finally shut up with the persecution and finally acknowledge the irreparable damage done to Malaysia by 1MDB and the disappearance of RM4 billion retirement funds in SRC?

Cogito Ergo Sum: Najib has exhausted all his legal avenues except for the final application for a review of his Federal Court judgment, he has nothing left. What else does Umno want that is not available to the common man?

Nine judges have found him guilty as charged. If there was one iota of doubt, the defendant would have been given the benefit. Every latitude possible was granted to Najib and the bench was very indulgent in giving him so much leeway.

What further “justice” does Umno want? The law minister must explain in simple language, with diagrams, if need be, how the legal system works in Malaysia. Then perhaps some of the doubts about Najib can be addressed before everything goes south.

MarioT: Zahid, look at it this way, are all those who are sentenced to prison for some form of crime committed against society, have all not received fair justice in our courts of law?

Justice beyond any reasonable doubt has been served on your “benevolent” ex-president entrusted with the nation's future, instead, used our hard-earned money as his personal piggy bank.

You play to the masses who once had their pockets filled and now long for such glorious days of easy money. Do not expect sympathy from the public for all the wrong reasons.

OceanMasterII: Such is the toxic politics in this country that the duly elected DPM has no trust in the system of government. Such statements from the second most powerful man in the country are usually reserved for failed states.

To rub salt into the wound, it's coming from the man who, as he speaks has loads of corruption charges pending against him. This is interference with the judiciary!

GreenRusan4781: For a DPM to call the judiciary to be fair implies that they have been unfair to Najib. What a statement of interference coming from a sitting DPM.

The chief justice has on umpteen times declared that the courts apply the law fairly on all and sundry irrespective of background, standing, position in government, or political affiliation.

This is very unbecoming of a DPM to make such statements. I call on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to reprimand the DPM immediately. If this is not done, then the faith in the current PM and his cabinet is tarnished forever.

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