Editor's Note - Issue 2004:1

---

Please support our work by buying a copy of our print publication, Aliran Monthly, from your nearest news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now.

---

In our cover story this month, Anil Netto takes a critical look at Abdullah Badawi�s war on corruption, which he feels will only target the ikan bilis rather than the sharks. The new premier, unsure about his support base, is unlikely to rock the boat.

Dato Sri George Seah, dismissed from the Supreme Court in 1988, provides more answers to questions that have lingered in the minds of many Malaysians. This time he explains what might have happened had the five suspended Supreme Court judges been allowed to hear then top judge Tun Salleh Abas� urgent appeal that year.

Animah Annette Ferrar describes the scene at the Palace of Justice during Anwar Ibrahim�s recent appeal in our back cover story. Her account fills a missing gap in the coverage by the mainstream media, which chose not to highlight this case. Commenting on the court�s decision, P Ramakrishnan laments that the judiciary is no longer the fountain of justice.

K George and Charles Hector are back again. George reminds us that though trade unions are not political parties, they are very much political organisations, which can be used to champion workers� rights. Hector talks about the sense of fear that constrains many many Malaysians from speaking out, acting or even voting for change. To be truly human, he says, we need to confront these fears.

Look out for the latest list of known detainees in our ISA Watch section. Let us know if you notice any discrepancies.

Enjoy Johan�s eye-witness report of the World Social Forum in Mumbai with colourful accompanying pictures courtesy of Nadarajah. Another world is possible.

Finally, we pay tribute to the late Aliran member, Desmond John Muzaffar Tate, who passed away on Jan 3. A diehard idealist, he will be remembered as a passionate freedom fighter who struggled on even into his 70s.