Lingamgate: Where's the outcry?

The Lingamgate scandal is arguably the biggest scandal to hit the Malaysian political scene. The video recording shows a prominent lawyer (said to be Lingam) talking to a judge (said to be Fairuz) about "fixing" the selection of judges. One of the pillars of democracy is the independence of the judiciary. If the judiciary is seen to be not independent, it shakes the very foundation of the whole nation.

Therefore, the people should be outraged. There should be a huge outcry. But, the opposite is true. Most people do not realise how big an issue this is. They agree it is wrong. But it is not that big a deal for them. This kind of reaction is understandable 20 years ago when the percentage of the highly educated in Malaysia is small. But in this era, why is the learned not voicing out their frustration?

The reason is quite simple. The percentage of Malaysians that go before a judge is very small. Even I have yet to step in a court. Our association with legal matters are restricted to Sales & Purchase Agreements. Nobody really cares who sits as a judge or how he gets there. But if the price of petroleum or toll goes up, they are ready to cry foul, and even go to the streets to protest.

Malaysians are too fixed on their rice bowl. If anything affects their rice bowl, they are willing to stand up and stay STOP. A judiciary which is not independent...who cares? No direct link to their rice bowl. Malaysians need to be really concerned about the core values of the country and the people. Corruption should be seen as equal to poison, and not something that becomes an integral part of our life.

Every indication shows the government intend to sweep this matter under the carpet. Worse still, they may prosecute the messenger/whistleblower. To all those who are seriously concerned about this tragic event, share the video (available on You Tube) to as many friends as possible. Discuss it with your co-workers during lunch break instead of English Premier League results.

Let's do our small part in making the dream of a clean, fair and efficient government possible.

Heroes or Fools?

I read with great sadness the death of two police officers in a drug raid in Sg. Buloh, Selangor. L/Kpl Jayabalan and L/Kpl Alagesan were shot dead by drug traffickers in the line of duty.

What was even saddening was the response of the PM, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Instead of hailing these two fallen heroes, he seem to chide them by saying that these two men "did not follow procedures". He went on to say that their approach was "inappropriate" (The Star, October 27, 2007). Imagine how the families of these two officers would feel when they read these words from the PM. In their hour of sorrow, their loved ones were being criticized. No praise, no consolation, and no words of comfort.

These two brave men sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Without wearing bullet-proof vests, they went in with the noble intention of putting these bad men behind bars, in line with the slogan of the Malaysian Police, "Sedia Berkhidmat" (Ready to Serve). When it is quite common nowadays to read news of police officers involved in graft, I feel the actions of these two fallen heroes were exemplary. In the same edition of The Star, I read that an assistant superintendent of police and a sergeant with the Dang Wangi district police headquarters were arrested for alleged graft.

I certainly wish the PM will be more sensitive when making such comments in future. I believe he knows very well how it feels like to lose a loved one. Put yourself in the shoes of Malini Venugopal (wife of officer Jayabalan) who fainted upon hearing the news that her husband has been shot dead. I hope the government right the wrong by hailing these two men as heroes and giving their next of kin every support they rightfully deserve.