Friday, May 2, 2008

HELLO, IGP! WHY DON'T YOU ARREST US ALL?

Breaking news on Malaysiakini, 2 May 2008


I will attest that since November 2006 when the explosive news of Altantuya Shaariibuu's grisly murder stunned the nation and raised eyebrows around the world, there hasn't been a single person I've met and discussed the case with who has not expressed disgust and incredulity at the grotesque cover-up that has protected Defence Minister and DPM Najib Razak and his wife from being included in the police investigation and trial.

There have been a few who, not wishing to jump to hasty conclusions, have stopped short of accusing Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor of complicity in Altantuya's abduction, killing and "burial" by C4 explosives. Nevertheless, I doubt there is a single justice-loving Malaysian who does not desire to see an end to high-level cover-ups of serious crimes in this country, involving the Attorney-General's office and the Royal Malaysian Police.

This is, in fact, one of the key factors of voters' unhappiness with the Barisan Nasional administration that led to its virtual annihilation at the recent elections. Until and unless we stop playing political games by harassing whistleblowers and truthspeakers and clean up the criminal excesses that have characterized decades of BN misrule, Malaysians will not let the present administration off the hook.

I hereby publicly declare that I fully support Raja Petra Kamarudin's cyber-campaign to see justice done in the Altantuya case. Although all evidence uncovered and revealed thus far points conclusively at the Defence Minister and his wife's personal complicity in the crime, I will not say so in print. However, I would like it on the public record that I vehemently feel that Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor must be included as key witnesses in the trial. Otherwise the public's current perception that the Altantuya trial is indeed a time-wasting merry-go-round and a travesty of justice will remain unchanged.

All talk about cleaning up our tainted judiciary will be just that and nothing more - unless something significant changes in the conduct of the Altantuya trial. Judicial reform must begin here and now with this high-profile and pivotal case.

May I suggest that the police launch an investigation against everyone in Malaysia who has publicly expressed the opinion that Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor ought to be summoned as key witnesses and cross-examined. They would have to arrest the whole population to silence us on this issue!

Antares
~^@^~