LETTER | Shoot the messenger but not the perpetrators

LETTER | I would like to refer to the Malaysiakini article, “Judge who alleged abuses in judiciary slapped with show-cause letter” published on Aug 16, 2020. Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer was asked to explain his action concerning a few issues.

After reading the article, I am not sure where Hamid Sultan has committed a wrong.

One of the concerns in the show cause letter is the claims he made in an affidavit in February last year that alleged abuses and fraud in the judiciary, which prompted the suggestion for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the matter.

The 'Pelan Antirasuah Nasional 2019-2023' reported that a survey carried out found that 33 percent of the respondents believed that judges are corrupt. I am sure these 33 percent would agree to have an RCI to weed out these corrupt judges from our judiciary.

I have said this in my other articles pushing for an RCI on the judiciary and I will repeat it again that the judiciary is the place where justice and integrity should be exemplary to the whole nation. Our judges must have an impeccable reputation in order to be able to dispense justice.

Otherwise, the country will have little or no hope of bringing corrupt politicians, police, civil servants and others to book.

A complaint of abuses and fraud in the judiciary, especially coming from one of its members, should be taken very seriously and investigated. Instead, judge Hamid Sultan was given a show-cause letter, which will only fuel the negative perception of the rakyat.

I concur with Suaram executive director D Sevan that the decision to pursue the matter against Hamid Sultan, as opposed to investigating the allegation, will only reinforce the perception that the allegations have merit and are being suppressed.

Only a proper RCI and the cleaning up of the judiciary will put to rest any negative perception about the judiciary. The rakyat will not compromise on this.

If whistleblowing and giving one’s honest opinion is wrong, as what judge Hamid Sultan has done, then we are really shooting the messenger and not the perpetrators?

TEH YIK KOON is a criminologist and sociologist. He is the author of the book, “From BMF to 1MDB: A Criminological and Sociological Discussion”.

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