LFL: MACC must stop misleading, it has no arbitrary right to deprive the public’s access to lawyers during questioning
KEY ISSUES
Illiberal and outdated laws continue to empower the executive and its agencies to act arbitrarily despite the presence of the Malaysian Constitution that guarantees civil liberties including liberty of the person; equality; prohibition of banishment and freedom of movement; freedom of speech, assembly and association; and freedom of religion.
Despite the seriousness of any death in police custody or fatal shooting, there is rarely any accountability, transparency or real investigations by the authorities responsible, namely the courts, police, Attorney-General’s Chambers and government hospitals which provide medical assistance or conduct post-mortems.
Although the key components of the Administration of Justice, namely the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers and judiciary are supposed to be independent, however in many politically motivated cases, one or more of the bodies often act together no matter how absurd or unfair these charges may be on the facts and settled law.
Statelessness is prevalent among descendants of refugees in Sabah and among ethnic Indians in Peninsular Malaysia. Many continue to live a life of exploitation and suffer from neglect and institutionalised discrimination; they live in poverty, remain poorly educated and skilled, trapped and with no means to acquire a better living and existence.
