The pressure imposed on the courts to quash an earlier guilty verdict is a desperate last throw of the dice on their part. 

As part of the overall intimidatory tactics employed, race baiting is also used and this has almost never failed the Barisan Nasional government and its allies. 

PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, should be more responsible than issuing in a broad brush unsubstantiated claims about non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras being the problem. 

Threats of bloodshed have to be acted on by the authorities. Had it been for any other case, would it have been tolerated? 

Najib Razak and all other politicians for that matter have to be subject to the rule of law as all other Malaysians are. 

The business and political class in Malaysia has long sought to bend the judiciary to serve its own interests. 

This has been successful on many occasions, and the common people in the country end up paying a heavy price for it. 

In its own way, Hadi is right in stating that the roots of corruption have to be eradicated. 

As to why corruption has become systemic in the country, Hadi and his allies only need to go as far as looking into the mirror to get the answer. 

The judiciary should find the strength, with the backing of the common people in the country, to stand up to any interference and play the role it should be playing without fear or favour. – The Vibes, August 21, 2022

Callistus Antony D’Angelus is an international labour adviser with the Social Protection Contributors’ Advisory Association Malaysia