Secrecy, once accepted, becomes an addiction.– Edward Teller, theoretical physicist There was a flurry of reports and allegations recently concerning foreign bank accounts belonging to Malaysian public officials. Facts supposedly reveal proof and evidence. Its axiomatic that people have the same right as facts to change their minds and perspectives.
The absence of the consent of the governed in government is the very definition of slavery. — Jonathan Swift, Irish satirist One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws, explained Martin Luther King, Jr., for which there should be no retribution. Howard Zinn explained that protest beyond the law
Lawless are they that make their wills their law. – William Shakespeare (The Two Gentlemen of Verona) The culture of lawlessness is the bane of elected government actors in the role of ‘robbinghoods’ engaging in unstoppable, uncontrollable and unspeakable illegal activities under colour of law. The voters are in a
The criminal law is no use to decent people. – George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright A code is universally known as “a system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy”. Going by this definition, the United States Code, Malaysia’s Criminal Procedure
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. – Edward R. Murrow, American broadcaster American lawyer Alexander Bickel postulated, a few decades ago, that courts and legislatures must interact on a regular basis because they serve the public interest (commune bonum) – individually and collectively. So, if public
Once in a while, an innocent man is sent to the legislature. – Mark Twain, American writer Mark Twain’s paradox would postulate that, in a perfect world, the whole idea of running for public office is to serve the public selflessly. Hidden agendas, unseen hands, ulterior motives, undue influence, deception,
You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility. – Byron L. Dorgan, former US Senator President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk that read “the buck stops here.” Those four words spell mental agility, accountability, responsibility and response-ability. Read: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the sacking of
Language is very powerful. It does not just describe reality, it creates the reality it describes. – Desmond Tutu, South African Bishop When government cannot be cured but endured; tolerated instead of being outlawed; or redesigned as an unpopular formula, the inevitable political suicide is akin to rearranging the deck
Sunshine is the greatest disinfectant.– Associate Justice Louis Brandeis, US Supreme Court (1916-1939) Politicians gloat about the need for transparency, responsibility, accountability as they wield power to classify, or declassify, certain documents deemed surreptitiously secret. The media frenzy over this issue in the USA is on overdrive while most Americans
A written Constitution is not a mere lawyers’ document. It’s a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of the Age. — B. R. Ambedkar, Indian jurist The time to restructure the Federal Constitution (FC) has arrived to accommodate all 21st century stakeholders — the People, the Borneo
New Sarawak Tribune is a Sarawakian news portal that highlights Sarawak-centric news and other stories of relevance to Sarawak.
Today, New Sarawak Tribune focuses on happenings in Sarawak’s cities, towns and small places no matter how remote these are and events of relevance in other states of Malaysia and other countries.
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