mystory - 18 april 2008

news one.
"The Star: Delivering justice, Renewing trust"

PM Abdullah Badawi addressed the Malaysian Bar council dinner last nite, and delivered a speech titled - Delivering justice, Renewing trust. among the things he touched on:

ONE, PM Abdullah Badawi called for everybody to work towards a new chapter in Malaysian judiciary.

TWO, a Judicial Appointments Commission would be set up to make the process of nominating, appointing and promoting judges more transparent.

THREE, a review of the judiciary's terms of service and remuneration to ensure that the Bench can attract and retain the best talent.

FOUR, he also spoke on the 1988 judicial crisis. "For me, personally, i feel it was a time of crisis from which the nation never fully recovered".

my comments:

Judiciary is one of the pillars of government. the other two being - the executive and the legislature. judiciary plays a very important role in any government system. a strong and respected judiciary would be good for the country. it provides stability. it provides a just recourse for all.

I fully support any judicial reforms that would create a strong, efficient and respected judiciary. Thank you PM Abdullah Badawi.

However, as i wrote in one of my earlier posts, i still have reservations about the appointment of TS Zaki Azmi to the bench and his rapid promotion. PM Abdullah Badawi mentioned in his speech last nite that "...a judiciary that delivers justice and is seen to deliver justice".

as such perception is important. perception is important in politics. what more the judiciary. i was told, a perception of biased can be a ground for appeal in a court case (correct me if i am wrong. i am not a lawyer). in no way i am questioning TS Zaki's integrity and professionalism. he may be fully qualified to be elevated and promoted. it's only a question of perception.