Let Malaysia start on a new slate in 1999 to restore public confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of government institutions by the establishment  of an Independent Commission of Inquiry to take over investigations into the Anwar Ibrahim "black eye"

(Petaling Jaya, Thursday):  1998 has been a  year of unprecedented political and economic crisis for Malaysia.

Never before has public confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the institutions of government and democracy been so shaken as in the last 12 months, as evidenced by the following events:
 

• The imprisonment of DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Guan Eng, not for any high crime of arson, armed robbery, rape, murder or criminal breach of trust but for diligently and conscientiously discharging his parliamentary duties to defend the honour, dignity, women’s rights and human rights of an underaged 15-year-old victim of statutory rape of the politically powerlful and mighty.
• The sacking of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from government and UMNO, his initial arrest under the Internal Security Act, his "black eye" while in police custody and the curtain-raiser for his  "trial of the century" which has entered into its 37th day - with Anwar probably spending the next few years commuting from jail to the courts and back to jail, if the authorities have their way!
• The shocking revelations in the Anwar Ibrahim trial as to how the institutions of government could be manipulated to serve the political masters, as the testimony by the Special Branch director  that he would lie under oath if ordered to do so, the Special Branch techniques of "turning over" and "neutralising" witnesses, as well as the various revelations  of the trial which have cheapened civic discourse and public morality.
• The repressive measures taken by the authorities to suppress Anwar’s "reformasi movement" and  to deny Malaysians the fundamental right to peaceful assembly , which was one of the basic  rights enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - which the government ignored, as well as disregarding the world-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year.
• The unacceptable delay in making public police investigations into the "black eye" of Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody and to bring to book those responsible for the assaults on the former Deputy Prime Minister has convinced Malaysians that the police  cannot be trusted to conduct such investigations and that the Attorney-General cannot be trusted to handle such a case.

Let Malaysia start on a new slate in 1999 to restore public confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of government institutions by the establishment of an Independent Commission of Inquiry to take over investigations into the Anwar Ibrahim "black eye" scandal.

If necessary, such an Independent Commission of Inquiry should also investigate into the  manner the police investigation panel had conducted its investigations and the reasons for the inordinate delay by the Attorney-General Chambers to act on the police findings.

Let 1999 be a year for Malaysian citizens to stand up for their  citizenship rights, starting with the demand that the government must immediately account for the scandal of Anwar Ibrahim’s "black eye" while in police custody - which now symbolises the refusal of the government to adhere to the fundamental principles of good governance - accountability, transparency, responsibility and integrity.

(31/12/98)