Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) refers to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on the case of assault on deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong.
The PM said the investigation process “takes time” and “is still open” and asked the public not to speculate.
This response by Anwar is contrary to good governance and utterly fails to provide an explanation to the public why a simple assault case has resulted in no prosecution against the suspected police personnel over the past 115 days. The suspect was identified by police and the assault has been recorded on video.
Anwar’s claim that some cases “take time” does not answer public concern. This is not a complicated murder case or a mega-financial scandal that it requires so much time.
Anwar appears to have no answers, but only evasions.
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It is an undeniable fact that the inspector general of police has stated that the investigation has been completed and the investigation papers have been given to the Attorney General’s Chambers, first on 5 June, and a second time on 27 July.
All the evidence of the assault, which is Ong Ing Keong’s dashcam video, has also already been given to the authorities from the very beginning of the investigation.
It is because of this that there has been widespread public concern that the VIP police escort responsible for the assault was not brought to court to face criminal charges.
It is audacious for the PM to then ask people to abstain from speculating on the matter when the failure to prosecute despite clear evidence is obvious to everyone.
The PM has failed to grasp the gravity that the failure to prosecute has on the public confidence in our criminal justice system. His flippant response has only generated more questions.
In cases involving draconian laws such as the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act, cases are investigated, prosecuted and sentenced at breakneck speed. Why not in Ong’s case?
It is not enough for the PM to brush off the matter. As the head of government and leader of the executive body, he has a responsibility to ensure that the rule of law is upheld.
The administration of justice is not done behind closed doors, and as such, the public is entitled to scrutinise the actions of the authorities and the government.
Public concern on the delay in Ong’s assault case cannot be dismissed as mere impatience; it is an expression of discontent over the justice system and it is about whether or not the law is applied equally, without fear or favour.
The PM must therefore give clear reasons why there is such a delay in Ong’s case. He must also remember that the issue is not only the delay in the prosecution of the VIP police escort but also to investigate and explain how the alleged palace representative was allowed by the police to pressure Ong to drop the case.
Ong deserves to have justice, which he has so long been denied, and members of the public are entitled to an assurance that the rule of law is upheld in the administration of justice in our country. – LFL
Zaid Malek, the lawyer for Ong Ing Keong, is director of Lawyers for Liberty.
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We have made a big blunder and mistake by choosing a NO … and GUTS PM to protect and save guard anak x2 INDIA, CINA dan anak x2 lain. Type M dan Isle sahajo matters for him. Regret for wasted my VOTE and canvass for this … party.