By Hafiz Yatim
A Pakatan Rakyat lawmaker urged judges to “stop monkeying” around on the bench, pointing out that their duty is to dispense justice.
Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran said as a practising lawyer, he has observed how litigants were getting increasingly frustrated with the way courts are dispensing justice.
He said he will personally bring this matter up when Parliament resumes next month.
“I can understand the frustration of the litigant who threw his shoes at the Federal Court judges yesterday, as the court allowed a preliminary objection.
“What is wrong with judges granting or extending more time, after all he was not represented,” Manogaran (left) asked.
The court must dispense justice to the people, that is what the public expects them to do. Judges are tasked to dispensing justice without fear or favour, he added.
“Courts must not function as a corporate body in hurrying to dispose justice. ‘Stop the monkeying’ on the bench. They are making a mockery of the justice system,” he said.
Manogaran cautioned that if the judiciary does not dispense justice fairly, then the people would lose their trust in the institution.
The judiciary, he said, should be independent of all things, especially the ruling government, in meteing out justice
Yesterday, an imam, Hoslan Hussain (right) threw his shoes out of frustration when the three-member bench of the apex court allowed a preliminary objection to his affidavit filed, which was outside the time frame, and dismissed his appeal against an eviction order by the Federal Territory Islamic Council (MAIWP).
Hoslan in the same story had told Malaysiakini that he had made numerous complaints against abuse of power and corruption, at the Ar Rahimah mosque in Kampung Pandan to the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, resulting in his eviction.
Litigants frustrated with judiciary
Manogaran pointed out that in the High Court, the current Court of Appeal judge Abdul Wahab Patail had called for witnesses to testify in the Langkawi R&D Academy Sdn Bhd case, but at the eleventh hour, with the witnesses already in court and their written statements ready, called off the hearing.
Normally, when witnesses and witness statements are filed, they would be called in by the court to give their testimony, followed by the closing of the case and submissions.
The lawyer also said that at the Court of Appeal, when the appeal of this case was being heard, Justice Abdul Malik Ishak asked the government how much it wanted before delivering judgment, in total disregard of the accepted practice in meteing out justice.
Normally, the decision will be delivered first, before the court asks the parties concerned for their estimated costs.
Manogaran also pointed out that this negative practise has spread to the lower courts, characterised by justice being hurried with judges not granting postponements when counsel are sick or is unable to be present, taking it upon themselves to make a decision.
“Such behaviour has to stop. As judges, they should temper justice with mercy and courts should always be viewed as upholding justice. If the courts cannot give justice, where can the people go to find it,” he asked. - Mkini
