Govt must be committed to institutional reforms, says civil society

PETALING JAYA: The government must show a serious commitment to institutional reforms following the poor handling of high-profile cases by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), says civil society.

In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 12), the Civil Societies of All Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption said that it was deeply concerned over recent events in which it said several high-profile corruption cases had been handled poorly by the AGC “under questionable circumstances”, and that had resulted in case dismissals and discontinuances.

The statement included Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar and Datuk Hussamuddin Yaacub as signees.

“This trend has given rise to the perception that the justice system is in a precarious state, undermined by undue influence.

“This troubling national issue has also sown confusion among the people, leading to the idea of a ‘two-tiered’ legal system.

It said, in turn, this raises questions about the justice system’s integrity, thereby posing a threat to the nation’s stability.

“We hereby stress that the AGC and all relevant agencies uphold the highest standards of accountability and transparency in every facet of the prosecution process, including the unequivocal provision of comprehensive information and details pertaining to all high-profile cases,” said the civil society.

It also called for the government to provide a non-negotiable timeline for reform implementation that the group advocated.

“Our Prime Minister’s ambitious goal of ensuring that Malaysia is among the top 25 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index within the next decade must be pursued with unwavering determination.

“To honour this commitment, alongside concerted endeavours to combat corruption and instil ethical values in public governance as well as at the grassroots level, the reinforcement and fortification of our legal framework becomes obligatory.

“This is paramount to ensure that the guilty face rightful retribution and the corrosive cycle of corruption is irrevocably removed at every stratum of our society,” it said.

The group also urged for their participation in reform committees.

“This collaboration is not merely essential; it is an imperative mandate to accelerate the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to eradicate corruption,” it said.