Statement
by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong
on 4.6.2002
in Kuala Lumpur
We wish that Malaysian legal and police systems are outstanding. The media report as headlined by the New Straits Times that expatriates says that the legal system is the best in Asia. If this is true, then we should be proud of it.
Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) had a survey of expatriates in Asia on the police and justice systems, rating the countries on a scale of one to 10. Singapore is 1.7, Hong Kong 2.9, Japan 3.67, South Korea 4.83, Malaysia 6.29, Taiwan 6.33, Vietnam 7.08, India 7.33, China and the Philippines 7.78, Thailand 7.96 and Indonesia 9.83.
The company shows that Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea are better than Malaysia. NST puts on a brave face by putting on its front page saying that Malaysia has the best legal system in Asia.
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION
Although the Malaysian Government insists that its justice system has high standards, we have to review the whole system to find out the good and the bad. It should avoid unscrupulous salesmanship.
For example, was the trial of the former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim truly just? This is controversial. That the former Attorney-General amended the charges against Anwar was a travesty.
We need to study thoroughly the police system. For instance, its handling of traffic summons, legal and illegal immigrant workers causes doubts.
We would like to see the legal and police systems in Malaysia being among the best in the world. The above-mentioned report points to Singapore leading the pack in Asia, Malaysia being better than Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia only. We don¡¯t know whether the company uses reliable methods for the survey.
Nevertheless, Malaysia requires a genuinely independent commission for thorough enquiry of the justice and police systems, finding out the strengths and weaknesses as well as the solutions.