Rule of law or rule of the jungle?
After Pakatan Harapan took over federal powers, the people were awaiting the much-promised reforms in our legal system as promised in their election manifesto and campaigns.
The people expected more from them as Pakatan always blamed the previous administration for failing to defend the rule of law.
However, the people now realise that they were shortchanged by Pakatan as the latter is now violating our laws blatantly in the open.
For example, the Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas has dropped charges affecting senior Pakatan leaders such as Lim Guan Eng’s corruption case on land and bungalow purchases and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) case filed against Seremban Jaya state assemblyman P Gunasekaran.
The AG even interfered in the inquest proceedings of late Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim and the court even ruled that Tommy’s move was in contempt of court. Adib’s case is now left hanging with no conclusion in sight.
For the sale of luxury yacht Equanimity, the AG had appointed another lawyer to handle the matter as he was incapable of doing it himself. The government had to spend RM2 million to pay up the lawyer.
As for the infamous gay sex video, the AG decided not to charge anyone despite the clips being proven to be authentic. Even when one of the ‘actors’, Muhammad Haziq Abdul Aziz came forward to admit that it was him in the video, fingering Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali as the other party, Tommy still refused to press charges on grounds that they could not positively identify the ‘actors’.
Besides the AG, our Elections Commission (EC) is also following the laws of the jungle. This is because the electoral body refused to take action against Pakatan leaders caught committing electoral offences despite numerous reports.
EC is also trying to come up with rules which goes against our electoral laws such as requiring permits for door-to-door campaign. Of course, the silly regulation was withdrawn after the AG intervened.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is also acting in an unjust way and practising selective prosecution. Umno members are getting notices on asset seizures but for those who crossover to Pakatan, their notices get withdrawn despite being blacklisted.
The so-called audio clip expose, featuring former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak talking to senior government officials and foreign dignitaries, were revealed to the media despite the fact that his trial was ongoing.
MACC’s decision to expose the matter to the media was widely criticised, even by lawyers from the Malaysia Bar, which referred it as sub judice.
MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya should know that if they want to produce new evidence, the public prosecutor must get the court’s permission first. Now, the people realise that our laws have no regard for personal secrecy rights. In fact, the act of wiretapping telephone calls between our leaders and foreign dignitaries is unethical and can ruin our diplomatic ties with foreign nations.
The latest news is that our beloved Dengkil state assemblyman Adhif Syan Abdullah was caught gambling and tested positive for drugs. The people are sure that he would not be tried in court.
Maybe our AG will announce that they could not charge Adhif as the ‘police report was not clear and too hazy.’
The people have no faith in our legal system at the moment.
Those responsible to uphold our rule of law are now ravaging our legal system out in the open.
Rule of law has now become rule of the jungle!
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the Opposition Leader and an Umno vice president
This piece was taken and translated from Ismail’s Facebook page.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Leaders Online.