Rais challenged to explain old Rais
Ajinder KaurPublished: Apr 10, 2001 1:54 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim was today taken to task for the statements he made in 1995 regarding the independence of the judiciary.
DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang challenged Rais to clarify his political stance on issues pertaining to the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and Parliament's role in defending the rule of law.
Lim's challenge comes in the wake of contradictory remarks made by Rais following the arrests and charging of five opposition figures.
Two weeks ago, KeADILan vice president Marina Yusoff, DAP deputy chairman and prominent lawyer Karpal Singh and PAS newspaper Harakah's editor Zulkifli Sulong and printer Chia Lim Thye were charged under the Sedition Act while KeADILan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor was charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
Once deputy leader of the now defunct Semangat 46 led by Razaleigh Hamzah, Rais appeared to be singing a different tune after his crossover to the government camp.
Lim pointed out that while Rais had criticised the government for its "dismal human rights record" and "illusory judiciary independence", he is currently defending the existing system under the leadership of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
In responding to the arrests of opposition figures, Rais had reminded the public to let the court decide and warned them not to predetermine if justice exists in the country. But in 1995, he vehemently criticised the judiciary in his doctoral thesis at King's College, London.
"The judiciary had lost its tussle with the executive in controlling arbitrary executive power," he wrote.
He added that what the government had done to the judiciary in 1988 was rare and its mode of attack was not known to conform to the practice of the liberal democratic world.
"But again one must understand, Malaysia is not a liberal democratic country," he explained in his thesis.
In that year, Mahathir dismissed a number of top judges, including Lord President Tun Salleh Abas, prompting a crisis in the judiciary and a bitter stand-off between the bar and the bench.
Lim told malaysiakini that he expected "a reply" from the minister who is in charge of law and justice. However, Rais could not be contacted for comments.
DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang challenged Rais to clarify his political stance on issues pertaining to the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and Parliament's role in defending the rule of law.
Lim's challenge comes in the wake of contradictory remarks made by Rais following the arrests and charging of five opposition figures.
Two weeks ago, KeADILan vice president Marina Yusoff, DAP deputy chairman and prominent lawyer Karpal Singh and PAS newspaper Harakah's editor Zulkifli Sulong and printer Chia Lim Thye were charged under the Sedition Act while KeADILan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor was charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
Once deputy leader of the now defunct Semangat 46 led by Razaleigh Hamzah, Rais appeared to be singing a different tune after his crossover to the government camp.
Lim pointed out that while Rais had criticised the government for its "dismal human rights record" and "illusory judiciary independence", he is currently defending the existing system under the leadership of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
In responding to the arrests of opposition figures, Rais had reminded the public to let the court decide and warned them not to predetermine if justice exists in the country. But in 1995, he vehemently criticised the judiciary in his doctoral thesis at King's College, London.
"The judiciary had lost its tussle with the executive in controlling arbitrary executive power," he wrote.
He added that what the government had done to the judiciary in 1988 was rare and its mode of attack was not known to conform to the practice of the liberal democratic world.
"But again one must understand, Malaysia is not a liberal democratic country," he explained in his thesis.
In that year, Mahathir dismissed a number of top judges, including Lord President Tun Salleh Abas, prompting a crisis in the judiciary and a bitter stand-off between the bar and the bench.
Lim told malaysiakini that he expected "a reply" from the minister who is in charge of law and justice. However, Rais could not be contacted for comments.
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