Penang Chief Minister's CHIEF MINISTER's OFFICE 10502 KOMTAR I Office Responds PENANG, MALAYSIA
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Justice.. Must Prevail The very independence of our nation is diminished each time the fundamental liberties of our citizens are brutally assaulted. o the Games have be have rocked the nation. Indeed But there can be no real freedom gun! Malaysians have foreign journalists covering the if injustice prevails. There can be been distracted by the Games have found more inter norealfreedomifMalaysiansare 11 spectacle of the much esting and newsworthy items to denied natural justice and the in hyped Commonwealth Games, report outside the various stadi herent basic rights that are be soon after the Merdeka celebra ums and sports arenas. stowed upon us by the God we tions that marked our 41st year profess to belie~e in. Indeed, the of independence. The political leadership had veryindependenceofournation hoped that the Commonwealth is diminished each time the fun The sports extravaganza threat Games would usher in a wave damentalliberties of our citizens ens to push the controversial of patriotism to lift the droop are brutally assaulted. sacking of Deputy Prime Minis ing spirits of Malaysians strug ter Anwar Ibrahim and lUs ex gling to cope with the reces By definition, therefore, we can pulsion from the dominant sion. The trappings of patrio not profess to be patriotic if we United Malays National tism - flags fluttering all over are not concerned about freedom Organisation into the back town, feel-good songs over the and basic rights. ground. television, a sense of achieve ment over Malaysia's sporting Even as we marvel at the records Hosting the Games was meant successes - are there for all to being shattered at the Common to showcase to the world that see. wealth Game::. and the superb Malaysia had come of age in the conditioning or the participating international community. Ap But, on reflection, the sense of athletes a sense of uneasiness parently, some quarters believe pride thatis being promoted bor envelops U5 like a thick dark we have much to show off: the ders on the superficial; it's a shal shroud. glittering RM10 billion new low form of patriotism. A closer Kuala Lumpur IntemationalAir look will reveal many instances Of late, we have seen how power port; gleaming skyscrapers in of injustice clouding thehorizon. has become even more cluding the world's tallest build centralised at the top and how ings, the Petronas Twin Towers; Real patriotism goes deeper than democratic institutions have the impressive new Bukit Jalil mere symbols of national pride. been undermined. main stadium. It is far removed from the blind patriotism that refuses to The deputy prime miruster's Sure enough, Malaysia has be recognise the truth and to see the postL-. now vacant after Am··ar's come a household name across warts behind the beauty. sacking. The one-time ~ eir ap the globe. But what has captured parent now faces a sle' . OJ seri the attention of the foreign me A real patriot passionately fights ous allegations that ha ~ )t.t to dia and visitors from abroad, for the freedom and rights of rus be proven. apart from the Games proper, are or her fellow citizens so that they the effects of the recession and can live in peace, happiness, and It is not for us, ordin;•rv 1\fal.ay the political shock-waves that prosperity. sians, to judge An· ar prema Aliron Monthly September 1998: 18(8) Poge 2 Justice Must Prevail Uphold Principles Of Natural Justice All Over? Or All Over Again? Sacking Of Anwar: Responses Lies And Political Conspiracy U No Thanks To Badawi Trampling On Human Rights 26 Responses To Lim Guan Eng's Jail Sentence 32 Lim Guan Eng's Wife: No Regrets 35 16 19 ALIRAN'S HOMEPAGE 28 http://www.malaysia.net/aliran Printod by RP Prinlln Sdn. Bhd. 23 66, 68 & 70 Jahn AU Ibm 38 10460 Pubu Phung. Maloysu. 39 Tel : 604 • 2265546 Fax: 604 - nntM Published by Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN) 12, J~lan Pant.ti Aziz Ibrahim. U900 PuLlu Pinang. Mlhysia. CPosLtl Address: P 0 Box 1049, 10830 Pulau Pi~ng. Malaysia.) Tel/ Fax : 604 • 6415785 Aliron Monthly September 1998: 18(8) Page 3 turely. Any proper judgement is events of the past year. the director of operations of a best left to an independent court. popular television station were Anwar should be allowed to de Ten years after the infamous as- replaced. fend himself. Instead, we have sault on the judiciary in 1988 witnessed how the media were when Lord President Salleh Eighteen activists, including shamelessly used to all qut pro Abas and two other Supreme three Malaysians were held in nounce Anwar guilty before he Court judges were unceremoni Burma when attempting to dis was given a chance to defend ously dumped, question marks tribute messages of goodwill himself. still hang over the judiciary's in and freedom to mark the 10'1 an dependence. niversary of the people's upris The allegations, if true, wilJ ing in that land. They were re surely dent Anwar's image. UN Special Rapporteur for the leased only after an international Even if they are true, the way Independence of Judges and outcry. Tellingly, the Malaysian Anwar was ruthlessly hounded Lawyers Param Cumaraswamy government maintained a out of political power left a bad is himself the target of libel steady silence. taste in the mouth. Sure, the charges which the courts have Prime Minister has the right to refused to throw out. But all this pales in comparison dismiss him from the Cabinet with the ouster of President but who can't fail to be disturbed Economic control and policy Suharto of Indonesia -followed by the manner it was done? making have been taken out of by the dramatic events of recent the Cabinet and placed in the weeks in Malaysia. Anwar now faces a prolonged hands of the National Economic court battle to clear his name. Action Council - or more spe- Some activists feel that the time Worse, he could be detained. If dfically, in the hands of Daim for reform has come. Others he is, the former social activist Zainuddin, Mahathir's most want to snuff out such a natural who rose meteorically up the trusted ally. Worryingly, neither quest for freedom before it sinks ranks to become the number hvo seems answerable to Parliament, its roots deep. person in the country will be in and by extension, the public. good company. But real reform, however, must Exchange controls and controls begin with il1temal change- in Opposition stalwart and Mem on capital flows - which many our hearts and minds. Without ber of Parliament, Lim Guan analysts have welcomed in the that, it is meanin~less. Eng, seen as a potential leader of short run - were introduced the Democratic Action Party without public discussion. The We are now at a cross-roads in (DAP) languishes-all but forgot long term repercussions on an our nation's history. We need to ten now-behind bars on charges economy that is so dependent on explore new frontiers and sail of 'sedition' and 'publishing foreign capital for growth have through uncharted waters in our false news' on the alleged statu not been adequately discussed in search for true freedom, and jus tory rape of a 15-year-old school a wider forum. tice. As we embark on this jour girl by the former Malacca chief ney, our prayers go out to all minister. Parliament, to all inten ts and tho~e who are denied freedom purposes, is now a pale shadow and justice. We are one with This silencing of outspoken of its former self. 1t has been re- them. voices and potential challengers duced to a mere monument to a to the political leadership should system of parliamentary democ Take heart, justice will triumph be seen in the wider context of racy that was once the pride of uJtimatelv. For now, we will do developments in recent months. the region. well to remember that we are all In a sense, the ominous smog stewards of God. As stewards that shrouded the region last The media were further sup we have a responsibility to en September proved to be the cur pressed when the editors of two sure that Justice and Truth tain-raiser for the tumultuous leading Malay newspapers and should prevail. 0 Ali ron Monthly September 1998: 18(8) Page 4 Uphold Principles Of Natural Justice Whatever his alleged crimes may be, Anwar should be charged in open court to establish the truth of the allegations liran is deeply dis tions. He should be given ev the country." tressed at the outland ery opportunity to defend llish allegations lev himself and clear his name. It makes a mockery of our pro elled at Anwar in one of the This would be conduct befit fessed allegiance to transpar four affidavits filed in the ting a civil society - conduct ency when Malaysians remain High Court yesterday. It is im that will not sully our civilised in the dark as to why Anwar portant to bear in mind, how notion of justice. was dismissed. It is no longer ever, that they are only allega a party matter. Anwar is ana tions as of now. The fact is the If, on the other hand, all legiti tional leader and if his alleged truth of these allegations have mate avenues are blocked and crimes are so serious as to war not yet been verified or estab the doors of the democratic rant his dismissal, Malaysians lished. process are slammed in have a right to know the rea Anwar's face, it will take little son.