Introduction

July 11th marks the first 100 days of Najib’s premiership. Will his 100-day performance serve as an indicator for how our country is likely to be governed for the next four years, or was it all a big public relations exercise? The next 100 days is just as critical and we, civil society organisations (CSOs), want to throw the gauntlet down to Najib to extend his program of reform to all aspects of life in the country, especially in the critical sphere of good governance.
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The Preservation of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Malaysia

Speech at The Oxbridge Malaysia Dinner Dialogue Series, hosted by the Oxford & Cambridge Society, Malaysia.
Date: Thursday, 9th of July 2009
Venue: Bankers’ Club, Kuala Lumpur.
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One man’s catchphrase of reform – “the culture of change” is in reality one potent chicanery and concoction of 4Cs – Corruption, Coercion, Crossovers and Coups. The self-proclaimed “people’s Prime Minister” with his recycled One Malaysia slogan, robs in broad daylight the people of Perak of their right to determine their State Government.
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Sumber: http://greenboc.blogspot.com/

Salah seorang bekas exco Pakatan Rakyat Perak yang menjadi ADUN Bebas di dakwa telah menerima habuan sebanyak RM3 juta daripada Perdana Menteri Najib Razak kerana keluar daripada Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan menyokong Barisan Nasional.

Ahli Parlimen Gopeng Dr Lee Boon Chye ketika mendedahkan perkara tersebut semasa berucap di Bukit Mertajam semalam berkata bekas exco itu telah menceritakan mengenai bayaran yang diterima beliau kepada seorang kawan yang dipercayai.

Malah Dr Lee berkata bekas exco tersebut juga merungut mengenai cara pembayaran kepada dibuat kerana Najib hanya membayar beliau secara ansuran dwi bulanan sebanyak RM100,000. Beliau yang juga Naib Presiden PKR berkata rasuah sebanyak RM3 juta tersebut diberi atas pesefahaman tuduhan rasuah terhadap bekas ecxo itu akan digugurkan sekiranya menyokong Umno dan BN.

“Kita akan tunggu dan lihat sama ada dakwaan ini benar atau tidak.

Kita akan ketahui daripada apa yang bakal berlaku apabila mereka ke mahkamah sekali lagi (sama ada tuduhan digugurkan), ” kata beliau pada satu majlis makan malam semalam.

Dr Lee berkata lagi beberapa badan bukan kerajaan Melayu telah mendedahkan informasi tersebut minggu lepas dan mendesak supaya satu suruhanjaya diraja ditubuhkan bagi menyiasat dakwaan tersebut.

“Saya yakin beberapa saksi akan dipanggil untuk memberi keterangan,” jelas beliau.

Februari lalu dua exco Pakatan Rakyat, Jamaluddin Mat Radzi dan Kapt. (B) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu meninggalkan PKR untuk menjadi ADUN Bebas yang pro-BN bersama-sama ADUN Jelapang daripada DAP, Hee Yit Fong. Tindakan mereka bertiga telah mencetuskan kemelut politik terburuk dalam sejarah moden negeri Perak yang masih berterusan sehingga kini.

Jamaluddin, Mohd Osman dan tiga orang lagi di dakwa secara perseorangan atau bersama berhubung 16 tuduhan rasuah berkaitan sebuah projek perumahan seluas 36 hektar berharga RM180 juta di bandar Sri Iskandar.

Tiga tertuduh yang lain ialah Ketua PKR Bahagian Parit dan bekas ADUN Bota Usaili Alias, Ahli Majlis Daerah Perak Tengah, Zul Hassan dan juruteknik Perbadanan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri, Ruslan Sahat.

Kelima-lima tertuduh dibebaskan dengan ikat jamin. Lima daripada tuduhan tersebut membabitkan rasuah antara RM400 dan RM10,000, dan tuntutan saguhati seks melalui seorang bernama Mohamad Imran Abdullah, sebagai habuan meluluskan sebuah projek bangunan di Sri Iskandar.

Dua tuduhan lagi bersabit dakwaan menerima rasuah RM2,000 dan tuntutan saguhati seks melalui Mohamad Imran sementara Ruslan dituduh bersabit tujuh kes rasuah melibatkan wang dan seks.

Kesemua kesalahan itu di dakwa berlaku pada 14 Ogos tahun lalu di Apartmen Sri Sayang Apartment dui Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang.

Pada kempen pilihan raya kecil Penanti di Kubang Ulu semalam Speaker V. Sivakumar menimbulkan kemusykilan berhubung kelewatan mendengar kes kelima-lima tertuduh sejak kes disebut pada September 2008.

Beliau juga secara sinis menyentuh kes sivil yang difailkan oleh beliau dan juga Menteri Besar Perak, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin yang cepat didengar oleh mahkamah. “Mengapa berhubung kes kami amat cepat macam keretapi ekspres tetapi kes rasuah membabitkan dua exco tersebut masih belum lagi didengar sehingga sekarang?

“Kes mereka disebut tahun lepas, lama sebelum kami memfailkan kes kami. Ini sungguh aneh,” tanya Sivakumar dihadapan lebih 1,000 penduduk.

Aliran is terribly perturbed by the increasing role the police are assuming which is perceived to be  undemocratic and very unfair. They have intervened whenever peaceful activities such as candlelight vigils
are organised by civil society groups.
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By Charles Hector

Nizar -v- Zambry… the problem was that many Malaysians (and others) already predicted the over-turning of the High Court decision by the Court of Appeal. Even, if the Court of Appeal affirmed it - people will expect the Federal Court to re-instate the BN man as the Menteri Besar as Perak…

This fact is bad…this perception of the Malaysian Judiciary is bad…and that is why we need to look again at our Malaysian Judiciary and see what needs to be done to cultivate again a Judiciary that is independent and impartial…

There really must be more checks and balances to ensure the independence of the judiciary…

a) Judges pay & pensions

There really is a need to increase the monthly wages of judges - and to re-look at the pension scheme. The current pension scheme for judges is really bad - for not only does a Judge lose all his ‘allowances’ and benefits, but he also not even assured of 50% of his last drawn salary. WHY? Because judge’s pensions are determined and calculated by a odd formula that looks at the number of months that the judge has sat on the Bench. Hence, the worry about the future …how will I survive after my retirement?

And guess what? The rich companies and the UMNO-led BN government can provide a solution for many judges…and this is not right.

Well, retired Judges could be appointed to become Human Rights Commissioners, or some other Commission members…a Consultant here and there… and these pay. They can also be made Directors, and will receive some Director’s allowances. They could also be made Consultants in some ‘big law’ firm, and I heard they pay about RM50K a month..

The point is judge’s independence can be compromised - and the so9lution may be Higher Pay for judges, and a Higher Pension.

Maybe the monthly pension should be 100% of last drawn salary (less allowances & benefits). Maybe every retiring judge should be paid RM250,000-00 and given a new car of a defines value, and this should be stated in written law.

b) Get rid of that ‘contract Judge system’ or probation judge system - the Judicial Commissioners. Just appoint them straight as judges…so they enjoy all that as been put in place to ensure independence. Remember security of tenure is one such safeguard.

Come take a 2-year contract as a Judicial Commissioner, and we will see. If you perform well, maybe we may appoint you as a Judge. [Hence, for 2 years, many judges may 'perform well' - being pro-BN and maybe even pro-BN related companies and persons...so that they be appointed Judge. After all to be not made a Judge after being Judicial Commissioner can be a rather embarassing. .

This system of probation and 'short term contract' may also deter the better persons from accepting appointments as Judges...

c) Transfers and Elevations
- that is also a another tool that can be used to control Judges. If you do not 'tow the line' or do as expected [or maybe instructed], then you may be transferred and kept in some ‘ulu’ High Court. Sent them off to Tawau…etc.

- Similarly, if you do not tow the line - you may never get elevated…

- the appointed of former UMNO lawyer straight to become a Federal Court Judge, then No. 2 in the Judciary and now No. 1 in the Judiciary tends to demonstrate this bias..- see earlier postsFight Corruption in Courts - Get rid of corrupt Judges and court staff…and Zaki Azmi ,

- Augustine Paul of the infamous Anwar trial…went up rather quickly? Rewarded for good job done? Maybe …maybe not.

Hence, the need for an independent commission to not only appoint judges, but to also look into the issue of transfers and elevations. Maybe candidates under consideration should be made known to the public, and time be given to the public to raise reasons why this person should not be made a judge…

Previously, when you just become judge you are sent to the far away courts …and then you do the circuit…and finally return to KL …thereafter elevated to the Court of Appeal…and so on. Maybe, something definite like this should be set out…

But SAFEGUARDS to ensure the independence of Judges all are of no use if the persons appointed as Judges are already ‘bad apples’…

How, then do you reform the Judiciary?
Maybe, we have to get rid of all the Judges…
and re-appoint new persons as Judges…that may be the only solution…
Why? The ‘existing’ judges may already be corrupted… already sold their independence, and it is near impossible to weed out which is bad and which is not…

Any other ideas?

I refer to the newly-launched KL Traffic Dispersal “Master”plan which has nothing “masterly” about it.

The key features of the plan include ramps, underpasses, elevated interchanges, and one-way streets.* This* is going to help us turn KL into a livable city?

FT Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said the two projects were being carried out in accordance with the Prime Minister’s wish to provide a better living for KL citizens and in line with his concept that the *“people come first.”*

People come first in this plan? Not in KL, that’s for sure. It is clear that this plan is putting the car first, people last.

Instead of building up the quality of life in the city, it seems that the government is focused on tearing down the quality of life – with more construction, more traffic, more noise and more hassles.

Why is any of this necessary? Because of traffic congestion in KL? Because of bad public transport? Or because of this unrealistic idea that everyone from the suburban areas can and should be able to drive into the centre of KL – all at the same time – and not face any congestion.

These plans are simply unbelievable – not to mention unrealistic in the long term. The action of the government in designing these plans and launching them without real, effective public consultation is total shame. Contacting a few area Residents Associations and telling them what you plan to do is
not public consultation - and for a plan this big in scale, the whole city should be involved.

I do note that they have made a tiny concession to public transit though – they will have 1 lane of Jalan Tun Sambanthan as a bus lane. Of course, anyone who spends time on Jalan Tun Sambanthan will quickly realize that this bus lane will be as ineffective as all of the others in KL.

KL will not be an enjoyable, comfortable or livable city if these developments go through. It will not be a place where people come first.

But then, maybe it never was.

Sadly

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
Subang Jaya, Selangor