Lim Kit Siang, Malaysian Mirror, January 10, 2012
I had in my first response to Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from Sodomy II charges yesterday said that it was a victory for justice.
There was immediate response from detractors accusing
me of double standards, alleging that I would regard the justice system
as fair and just when Anwar is freed but the opposite if Anwar is
imprisoned.
These detractors have got me wrong. Anwar’s acquittal was a victory for justice but not yet a triumph for the justice system.
Just as a swallow does not make a summer, the justice
system in Malaysia has a very long way to go despite the Anwar Sodomy
II acquittal to restore national and international confidence in its in
efficiency, independence and integrity.
In acquitting Anwar, Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah
cited the possibility that the DNA samples were compromised and the lack
of corroborative evidence. On these grounds alone, Anwar should never
had been charged in this first place. Furthermore, Anwar’s defence
should not have been called at the end of the prosecution case.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today joined
the Prime Minister, Najib Razak and the Information, Communications and
Culture Minister Dr. Rais Yatim to proclaim that Anwar’s acquittal was
proof of the independence of the judiciary in Malaysia and would
increase the confidence of Malaysians and international community in
Najib’s transformation promises.
Such claims and proclamations are most fragile.
Firstly, it will not be easily forgotten that the
crisis of confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the rule
of law reached a new climax under Najib’s premiership, when he
orchestrated the unconstitutional coup d’etat and power grab in Perak
state which was given legitimacy by compromised and subservient
judiciary.
Secondly, such claims would be instantly destroyed if
Anwar is subject to new and further persecutions, whether in a decision
to appeal against Anwar’s acquittal or to harass him with new charges.
I call on Najib to end all gutter politics and
character assassination of political opponents and the politics of lies
and hate, which of late has poisoned Malaysian politics and the
nation-building process – as for instance the incessant lies trying to
portray the DAP as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers.
Let the battle for the hearts and minds of the voters
be on policies and programmes and not on character-assassination, lies
and falsehoods.
Anwar’s acquittal yesterday has given hope that the
decay of key national institutions have not reached the point of no
return and that it is possible to effect changes and reforms from within
the present system – although there can be no better surety of
fundamental reforms of key national institutions than to bring about a
change of federal power in Putrajaya in the next general elections.
Anwar’s acquittal is likely to affect Najib’s
time-table for the holding of the next general elections as the
possibility of dissolution of Parliament immediately after the Chinese
New Year has receded into the background.
This is probably why Parliament has announced the
dates for the new Parliamentary calender this year – with official
opening of Parliament by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on March 12 starting a
20-day meeting for Dewan Rakyat from March 12 to April 12, 2012; a
second parliamentary meeting of 12 days from 11th June to 28th June and a
34-day 2013 Budget meeting from Sept. 24 to Nov. 27, 2012.
As of now, I expect the March meeting of Parliament
to be held but not the June meeting, as otherwise the "feel good"
feeling generated from Najib’s 2012 Budget "goodies" would have been
completely dissipated.
LIM KIT SIANG
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