Last bastion of justice?<\/p>\n
Two starkly contrasting images appeared on Feb. 13 in most
\nJakarta dailies. The first was a photo of Akbar Tandjung
\n(currently House of Representatives speaker) bursting into tears
\nof happiness while being hugged by his wife, as he had just been
\nacquitted by the Supreme Court on all charges.<\/p>\n
The other, which appeared in Kompas, was a picture of a proud
\nand smiling Malaysian anticorruption agent who, together with a
\npolice officer, led a Malaysian minister of land and development
\ncooperatives from a Malaysian police station.<\/p>\n
Both images portrayed the strengths and weaknesses of the
\njudicial system in the two countries. The Indonesian Supreme
\nCourt, which had been expected by justice-loving citizens to be
\nthe last bastion of justice, collapsed. The Malaysian court has,
\non the other hand, authoritatively charged the minister with
\ninvolvement in five corruption cases, which will proceed to a
\nhigher court.<\/p>\n
The editorial in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 13, titled Bulwark
\nof justice?, as well as those in other dailies, plus lawyers,
\nexperts and ordinary people, not to mention student activists,
\nall criticized the Supreme Court verdict as one that was far from
\nfulfilling the public's sense of justice. Todung Mulya Lubis, a
\nnoted corporate lawyer, and Antonius Sujata, chairman of the
\nOmbudsman Commission, said that the verdict had certainly caused
\na loss of public confidence in the judicial system and in the
\nongoing battle against corruption (the Post Feb. 13).<\/p>\n
What is left by the verdict was deep public disappointment in
\nthe country's judicial system, as well as a failure in legal
\nreform that should have been initiated and championed by Chief
\nJustice Bagir Manan, whose term of office will soon be over.<\/p>\n
The verdict was also a sign of a lack of accountability on
\nbehalf of the Supreme Court, as it is not subject to any superior
\nagency that can supervise and oversee its activities. Therefore,
\nBenyamin Mangkoedilaga's suggestion, that the House immediately
\nendorse a bill on a judicial commission, is worth considering
\n(the Post Feb. 16).<\/p>\n
The ball is now in the House's court, and the conscience of
\nlegislators is under challenge. Malaysia's success story in all
\nareas, including in combating corruption, should serve as an
\nobject lesson for all of us.<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/last-bastion-of-justice-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }