Election Court judge Datuk Mohammad Kamil Awang has inevitably provided the Mahathir administration a straw to grasp on to provide the necessary periodical distraction that Malaysians seem to require in order to take their minds off the shortcomings of the government.

It would appear that the moment such a straw is found what is needed is for their chief, the prime minister, to make the first move, before everyone else joins in the chorus lambasting the poor victim.

No doubt we had the de facto law minister (Dr)Rais Yatim making some initial screeches. But he still had to wait for his boss's batting before he threw in his volley of punches. And now Rais Yatim challenges the judge as if he is qualified. In the first instance he should ask himself if he knows any doctorate holder who reneges on his thesis, continuing to hold on to the honorific prefix to his name. Rais shamelessly holds on to the prefix.

Since Rais is into throwing challenges maybe he can explain Ariffin Jaka's judgment where in the same judgment in two very identical situations, i.e. testimonies from Azizan Abu Bakar and that by the former director-general of the Anti-Corruption Agency, he applied two completely different tests. The result, one testimony was accepted and the other was thrown out! Maybe Rais might be able to point out a court or even a judge who would do that. I shall give him the liberty to include village and syariah courts and judges to widen his search.

Is it not obvious what Mahathir and his other collaborators are all about? They know only too well that Malaysians as a whole largely wait for them to make a statement of opinion on anything at all. That, in most instances, will often end up being the last word on the matter. Furthermore, it will also set in motion the direction any investigations undertaken. If not, it will prompt an investigation.

Is it not too obvious that from the manner in which this whole issue is moving, the next thing would be to attempt to discredit the judge and to reverse the judgment? In Malaysia, the land where 'Semuapun Boleh!' (everything is possible), is it not possible for this to happen?