Last bastion of justice?
Last bastion of justice?
Two starkly contrasting images appeared on Feb. 13 in most
Jakarta dailies. The first was a photo of Akbar Tandjung
(currently House of Representatives speaker) bursting into tears
of happiness while being hugged by his wife, as he had just been
acquitted by the Supreme Court on all charges.
The other, which appeared in Kompas, was a picture of a proud
and smiling Malaysian anticorruption agent who, together with a
police officer, led a Malaysian minister of land and development
cooperatives from a Malaysian police station.
Both images portrayed the strengths and weaknesses of the
judicial system in the two countries. The Indonesian Supreme
Court, which had been expected by justice-loving citizens to be
the last bastion of justice, collapsed. The Malaysian court has,
on the other hand, authoritatively charged the minister with
involvement in five corruption cases, which will proceed to a
higher court.
The editorial in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 13, titled Bulwark
of justice?, as well as those in other dailies, plus lawyers,
experts and ordinary people, not to mention student activists,
all criticized the Supreme Court verdict as one that was far from
fulfilling the public's sense of justice. Todung Mulya Lubis, a
noted corporate lawyer, and Antonius Sujata, chairman of the
Ombudsman Commission, said that the verdict had certainly caused
a loss of public confidence in the judicial system and in the
ongoing battle against corruption (the Post Feb. 13).
What is left by the verdict was deep public disappointment in
the country's judicial system, as well as a failure in legal
reform that should have been initiated and championed by Chief
Justice Bagir Manan, whose term of office will soon be over.
The verdict was also a sign of a lack of accountability on
behalf of the Supreme Court, as it is not subject to any superior
agency that can supervise and oversee its activities. Therefore,
Benyamin Mangkoedilaga's suggestion, that the House immediately
endorse a bill on a judicial commission, is worth considering
(the Post Feb. 16).
The ball is now in the House's court, and the conscience of
legislators is under challenge. Malaysia's success story in all
areas, including in combating corruption, should serve as an
object lesson for all of us.
M. RUSDI, Jakarta