THE federal government has prevailed yet again in keeping secrets from the Malaysian public. On 25 Feb 2011, the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court decision compelling the disclosure of an audit report and a 2004 water concession agreement. How are the audit report and the agreement significant? And why did the Court of [...]

IT’S been almost two years since Barisan Nasional (BN) wrested the Perak government from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but does anyone still care to remember? And how would we choose to remember it? If, as the saying goes, “History is written by the victors”, then the history of the Perak takeover would probably go like this: [...]

IT’S a running joke in the legal fraternity that lawyers cannot count. The recent confusion surrounding Batu member of Parliament (MP) Tian Chua’s possible disqualification however, suggests that judges might also have similar issues. Chua was fined RM2,000 by High Court judge Datuk Ghazali Cha for biting a police officer. Article 48(1)(e) of the Federal [...]

Can non-Muslims practise in the syariah courts?LAWYER Victoria Jayaseelee Martin made headlines in mid May with her quest to be admitted as a syariah lawyer in the Federal Territory. The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council had refused admission to Martin because she was not a Muslim. On 14 May 2010, she was granted leave to have [...]

KUALA Krai Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli’s response to the MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project, which asks all 222 MPs six questions. (source: parlimen.gov.my) Name: Dr Mohd Hatta RamliConstituency: Kuala Krai Party: PAS (Opposition)            Years as MP: Since 2008  Government position: None Party position: Treasurer Central committee member Membership in parliamentary committees or caucuses:  None Blog/Website: http://hattaramli.blogspot.com/  Would you support [...]

“FOR any decision, the losing party will say it’s unfair, the winning party will say it’s fair,” says Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi. He says as people tend to root for the underdog, decisions favouring the government tend to be viewed as a result of government bias. In the second and final part of an [...]