“Focus on the Royal Commission” – Godfather.

Although what Undergrad2 says is true – that the main issue is judicial rot of which, according to him, the “bloke” has so far been competent to distract the public from by his incompetence – don’t forget that: -

1. the way to address judicial rot is 2 steps, first and most important is to ensure that the video clip proves and is acceptable as irrefutable evidence of the rot, which upon such proof being accepted, will, in turn, pave the way to justify the establishment of Judicial Commission for appointment of judges in the near future;

2. the Minister of Law, with his legal credentials, is specifically put there by powers to be (bent on preserving the rot) as a guard dog to use whatever means necessary to prevent the first step being taken and second step stated above to follow –

which suggest, to me at least, that the man and the bigger issue are inextricably tied up as one integral rather than two separate and distinct problems, and that one can never make meaningful progress to the real issue of the judicial rot if the necessary has not been done to neutralize and discredit the obstacle of the guard dog positioned at the front gate barring entry.

“..//…I am lamenting the fact that the mainstream press doesn’t see it fit to question the minister on his misstatement. The main reason why these people are so arrogant and are so blatant with their lies is that they control the mainstream press. They can look you in the eye and say “so what?”..//..” – Godfather.

Now we too can equally say “so what?” to mainstream press. We all know its role. It is not a new revelation. Can one blame the editors when the papers themselves are either owned directly or indirectly by ruling parties and their friends, manacled as they are, by 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act requiring annual renewal of licence?

Predictably NST which carried in front page Nazri’s non existent Witness Protection Bill yesterday is resoundingly silent today.

The Sun carries a very small column on page 4 under caption/byline “ What I meant : Nazri”. (What he meant was “the govt is looking to enact a law to protect whistleblowers, there is a need for such an Act” (that the Star on its page N6 added) in “the stage of drafting” which is immediately somewhat at odds with what was reportedly said next that when he spoke to reporters on Sunday “he was referring to all available Acts in the country that offered some protection to witnesses like the Anti-Corruption Act, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence of Child Witness Act and Anti Trafficking in Persons Act”, (The Star used the words “other mechanisms”) which he had asked his press secretary to request the press to make clarification, though it was not done).

Come on, we all know that all available Acts in the country have nothing to do with plastic surgery and new identity and that if they were good enough to protect whistleblower, there would not be a need for a Witness Protection Act lobbied for by Civil Society.

The reportage in The Star today is even better – it reported that Nazri would push for the Witness Protection Act. He said he planned to raise the matter with the cabinet meeting tomorrow. He said he was in favour of govt giving assurance of protection to whistleblower relating to video clip.

There are three immediate positive outcomes for Civil Society in the widespread exposing of his gaffe are:

1. the red herring of his challenge to Anwar/PKR to bring out the Whistleblower now or else they are lying has been exposed, brushed aside and discredited;

2. the necessity for a Witness Protection Act that Civil Society has been lobbying for some time has suddenly been acknowledged and a public commitment made that it is on the way…

3. the overzealousness of his misstatement “misleading the public” to deflect the cry for the Royal Commission in fact weakens the government’s objection to and works the reverse to underline the need more than ever for the Royal Commission.