TWO DOWN AND HOW MANY MORE TO GO?

The release of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK) from ISA detention, and the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court ruling that favoured Anwar Ibrahim to be tried in the same Sessions Court, are two reports that will be headline news for many more days to come, and maybe not for the mainstream media.

In the case of RPK, his freedom from ISA detention is unprecedented, and I believe marks the beginning of more releases for the remaining ISA detainees, some of whom have been incarcerated at the infamous Kamunting Detention Centre for more than 7 years. The Shah Alam High Court ruled that 'RPK's detention was unconstitutional' and that the Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar 'had not followed proper procedure under Section 8 of the ISA to issue the detention order against RPK'.

There is now a clarion call by many for the Home Minister to resign, but I think a voluntary resignation by the honourable Minister is very unlikely. Neither will the Minister admit that his decision to sign RPK's detention order was wrong, despite him being a lawyer himself. I hope he does go around blaming others, for the wrong that he had done.

In the case of Anwar Ibrahim, he has PM Abdullah Badawi to thank. We know that both have their political differences, and are seen not to like each other. But the statement made by Abdullah Badawi that the AG Abdul Gani Patail will have no part to play in the sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim, had saved the latter's trial from being transferred to the High Court.

Like Syed Hamid, will we also hear calls for Abdul Gani Patail to resign? And if that call is made, will Abdul Gani Patail voluntarily resign? I think not, for if he does resign, he will be exposing himself to those who have a score to settle with him.

And what about the investigation on Abdul Gani Patail and IGP Musa Hassan, whom Anwar Ibrahim accused of tempering with evidence in the latter's trial in 1998? Will the outcome of the investigations be in favour of Anwar Ibrahim, or in favour of the two 'accused persons'. One can only hazard a guess, and in so doing, one need to look seriously at the recent outcome of the murder trial of Altuntuya, where I am now even more puzzled as to who actually ordered the murder.

While UMNO is too busy with the up coming party elections that is being made worse by the many reports of money politics and corruption by its party members; the Courts on the other hand are now being seen by many, for making judgments that are favourable to both RPK and Anwar Ibrahim on one single day. This is unbelievable.

Is this the beginning of 'proper and fair justice' by the Malaysian courts that Abdullah Badawi had pledged, to remedy the poor image of the country's judiciary system brought about notably by the Lingham case and the sacking of several Judges some years ago? I sense that there is now greater freedom by the courts to make judgment, free of any sort of political interference, perceived or otherwise.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted at 12.04 am on Nov8,2008