Does Madam Yim deserve bail?
There seem to be many doubtful reasons why the court showed such mercy based on weak facts presented by Yim's counsel which included that she was suffering from asthma attacks, that she had high blood pressure and that she had a baby to breast feed.
The wisdom of the bail decision is very questionable as the above grounds for the appeal are very weak for such an alleged crime for which offenders face up to a possible 66 years' imprisonment.
The breast feeding of her baby and that of the baby being deprived of his breast feeding right should not have been accepted by the court as the infant can always be breast fed by Yim in a separate room in prison.
The other two reasons of Yim suffering from asthma and high blood pressure are equally unacceptable as the Kajang Prison, where Yim had been incarcerated, has all the medical facilities to cater for these common complaints.
In as much as bail has been allowed, the amount of RM85,000 granted is too low compared to the maximum sentence of 66 years that can be meted out if a guilty verdict is returned. This low bail amount has also given rise to a high possibility of the accused jumping bail.
Despite the severity of the alleged offence, the court also did not require Yim to report to the nearest police station daily and for her to be confined to her residence from 9pm to 6am.
The attorney-general should protest the rationale of this special treatment accorded to Yim because enforcement of law should not be based on emotional appeals, but on its consequences and implications.
Anwar Ibrahim, whose health condition is more critical than that of Yim's, is denied his basic right of seeking treatment of his own choice. He is not allowed bail despite of having served the nation as the deputy prime minister.
It is important that the Malaysian judicial system has more transparent practices rather than be inclined towards political-biased judgments.
