Judiciary Issue at a Glance

We have a funny view of "political things" in Malaysia. In Australia the voting age is 18, and even people who are disinterested in the politics can usually tell you all the ins and outs about their Liberal and Labor parties. But in Malaysia, a lot of people don't seem to know much about what's happening, even those who are already eligible voters.

All we can tell is this:

• Eih everything is so bad la!
  
• Our politicians are like monkey, brainless one leh!
  
• That that that guy very racist wor!
  
• PAS very dangerous, will turn this country to barbaric state with the Hudud Law!

But then, ask people "what's the main thing that is happening now", many people will be stumped. That's bad, that's what the leaders want to see - a state of ignorance.

So I guess I should start by describing the latest "big thing" - the judiciary issue. And I will do it ala "at a glance". I like those books that make things simpler with arrows, diagrams and charts. Make life easier.

But actually hor, someone else has already done it. And that's a famous lenglui blogger in the country. Things are more readable when it's written by an attractive girl, you see. So I am going to quote this "at a glance" from her. Go ahead and read it here, or if you prefer to browse her pictures and writing, go to the original pinkly blog and read it there.

made public via Malaysiakini last month, was a 8-minute video clip that is proof of the corruption that exists in our judiciary system. taken in 2002 when Mahathir was still PM, the video clip showed a senior lawyer VK Lingam having a phone conversation with an unidentified person, strongly believed to be Datuk Ahmad Fairuz, who was at that time the Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM), the 3rd highest post in the judiciary.

the situation was that the Chief Justice (CJ) of that time, aka the top guy, the judiciary No.1, the main man who has the post everyone else covets, was stepping down as CJ soon. but before his tenure was to officially end, it seems he was hard at work making sure his ‘men’ would secure the top judiciary positions after he left.

Ahmad Fairuz (judiciary’s No.3 guy, aka person allegedly on the other end of the phone conversation in the video clip) is not part of the CJ’s camp, and would probably NOT be promoted to No.2 or No.1 unless something was done. obviously, he would like to be No.1, right? and so ’something’ must be done.

the Chief Justice is appointed by the country’s Agong upon advice from the Prime Minister, and so the Prime Minister is the person you want on your side if hypothetically speaking you would like to become the Chief Justice of Malaysia. but of course the PM is not accessible to all and sundry, so when you wanna get to him, you get to his good friends first. the PM’s good friends in this case and as implicated in the video, are none other than Tan Sri Vincent Tan (tycoon and owner of Berjaya Group) and Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan (current Tourism Minister).

enter VK Lingam, well-connected and ‘correct’ lawyer as he is, who offers to help Ahmad Fairuz obtain the CJ post. he claims to have already pursued - and will continue to pursue - the assistance of Vincent Tan and Tengku Adnan in persuading Mahathir to appoint Ahmad Fairuz as the next Chief Justice of Malaysia. can lah friend, can lah can lah, i help you because you suffer so much already. ya ya correct correct i help you.

long story short : Ahmad Fairuz -> VK Lingam -> Vincent Tan & Tengku Adnan -> Mahathir

remember that this video was secretly filmed in 2002. one year later in 2003, Ahmad Fairuz was appointed Chief Justice of Malaysia. end of summary of issue.

so yes, our judiciary is helmed by someone appointed not by means of meritocracy or integrity, but by means of corruption. it can be deduced that if corruption can exist at such an elevated position in the judiciary hierarchy, it can exist at all lower levels of the judiciary too.

also, if the appointment of someone this CRUCIAL and INSTRUMENTAL to the country can be manipulated so simply, just so long as you know the right people, then think about all the people in the higher levels of your government. the people in the higher levels of your police force. your cabinet. your ministers. does it not disgust you to know that the people who run your country are people appointed because they are cronies of the government, because they are corrupt, because they know who to bribe and pull strings with, and not because they are the best people for the job?

does it not make you sick to the stomach to think that the people in your country’s judiciary - the people who decide who is wrong and who is right, the people who mete out punishment and sentences, the people who have the power to release alleged criminals, the people who are supposed to uphold JUSTICE in the name of 27 million Malaysians - may be crooks?

By the way I don't believe that Su Ann is 18. But I digress.