LETTER | Configuration of elites undermines justice

LETTER | It is a pity that in Malaysia when it comes to the investigation against elite abuse of power or possible corruption there seems to be a delay or half-baked investigation that tends to clear a person prematurely, or when it goes to authorities to decide whether there is a case, it remains in limbo, which would very much depend on who is the accused.

It is about whether the accused person is aligned with the government of the day or whether it is a credible opponent of the government.

It is unfortunate that the Securities Commission seemed to have prematurely cleared MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki of wrongdoing, while according to an online daily’s report, a letter bearing the signature of the Dewan Rakyat secretary informing the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for Agencies Under the Prime Minister’s Department that the meeting to discuss the issue of Azam’s share ownership has been indefinitely postponed.

While such blatant delays are chosen to safeguard certain elites who might be perceived to be beneficial to certain groups, the very integrity of our vital institution that is supposed to combat corruption is at stake.

If there is a 1MDB case today and certain Umno leaders are facing court trials for corruption, it is because there was a change of government after the 2018 general election. If such change was not there, the 1MDB scandal would have mysteriously become a non-issue and kleptocrats would be still governing the country, because the ruling elites have become too powerful that vital institutions involved in investigation and prosecution act according to the cultural paradigm set for by the elites in power.

It is obvious that in the Malaysian context, there is a configuration of elite power that continues to prevent and dent the credibility of institutions that execute the process of justice.

Some would argue that our justice system is fair since the judiciary has come up with a judgement that at times had gone against the ruling elites. But the truth is, justice is not just a matter of end results of judgement by the courts, there is also a need to take into consideration whether the processes of civil or criminal investigation signifies equal justice for all.

Therefore, it is vital for Malaysians as a whole to reject such blatant configuration of elite power that continues to darken the landscape of justice in the country.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.