Source Aliran

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The country is deeply embroiled in crisis and now seems rudderless.

The political landscape is pockmarked and riddled with enmities, backstabbing, swirling allegations and pending court cases involving massive corruption.

Every day we gawk at exposé after exposé of corruption, misappropriation and fraud at an unimaginable scale.

The legislature and the executive are no more the bastions of robust nationhood today. The disappointments and gross failures are far too many to chronicle here.

Even civil society’s hope of peacefully gathering to demand reforms is drained and diminished by the fear of arrests or the unleashing of high-handedness and even brute force.

What is left for peace-loving folk is the last frontier – the Malaysian judiciary.

It is high time to rein in the crooks who have directly or indirectly brought this nation into the murky backwaters of unhappiness, failure and untold misery.

While we uphold the democratic pillar of justice – that one is innocent until proven guilty – the legal fraternity must also act conscionably in these times of national crisis.

It is time to let justice reign supreme so that true patriots can rise and lead the people back to the path of progress, harmony and peace.

Malaysia now has one last avenue, and it has to be the judiciary coming down hard and fast, without fear or favour.

All those politicians, technocrats, business moguls, civil servants and ordinary people who have dirtied their fingers with corruption must pay the price.

The perpetrators of corruption must be hauled up without fear or favour.

A national service to cleanse and protect the nation has to be the gold standard.

Sounds idealistic, but what other choice do we have?