Anwar: Critics of judiciary ignore lessons from Reformasi era
Anwar, who is also PKR president, said those who lived through the Reformasi era understand that the judiciary must remain the country's main pillar and be free from political interference.
He cited the works of renowned cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, better known as Zunar, whose illustrations chronicled the public outrage during that period over corruption, abuse of power and manipulated court decisions.
"Sometimes when people talk about the judiciary, I feel some of them act as if they know nothing at all about history — people who were once complicit in all the oppression and injustice of the past, now wanting to speak about freedom.
"On the other hand, for us who lived through it, we believe and we are convinced that the key lesson is that the judiciary, which is the main pillar of the country, should be without political interference, because our experience has shown that we must be more mature as such interference leads to the abuse of the innocent.
"The same applies to economic management, such as the Scorpene and 1MDB scandal that was illustrated in in the cartoon," he said during the launch of the book "Melukis dengan Hati: Biografi Perjalanan Seni 50 Tahun" by Zunar here today.
Anwar said Zunar's work is important not only in terms of uncovering historical chapters, but also serves as a lesson on what Malaysia must learn from and what is to be avoided.
"To save the country, there must be a clear separation of powers and shared responsibility.
"If we assume that the judiciary is a noble institution, history has shown that it has, at times, been tainted by corruption and abuse of power.
"Likewise, the position of the prime minister or finance minister, even if entrusted to someone believed to carry out their duties well, has, in reality, been misused to amass excessive wealth.
"And all of this is captured in Zunar's work," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Nurul Izzah pays tribute to Bangladesh's July Revolution at Dhaka conference
NEW DELHI: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar on Sunday paid tribute to the 2024 student-led uprising in Bangladesh as a quest for sovereignty and dignity. Bangladesh is holding a series of events to mark the first anniversary of the fall of Sheikh Hasina's nearly 16-year rule as a result of what has become known as the July Revolution. She said the events of last year were not just a protest but became an avenue for the rebirth of the nation's spirit. "At the end of the day, any regime, no matter how powerful, cannot stand against the will of an awakened people," Nurul Izzah said. Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 as protests mounted against her rule across Bangladesh. Nurul Izzah said the July Revolution is a reminder that "stability without justice is fragile." She also referred to the ongoing genocide by Israel in Gaza in her speech, which covered wide-ranging topics such as democratic and political reforms, her own struggles, youth activism and economic empowerment. Nurul Izzah said the "enabling of the genocidal onslaught in Gaza by the hegemons and their ilk reminds us of the need to reaffirm our solidarity." She spoke alongside international and Bangladeshi speakers at the first International Conference on the July Revolution, organised by the Dhaka-based think tank Research and Integrated Thought (RIT) and Dhaka University's Department of Political Science. Yasin Aktay, a senior member of Turkiye's Justice and Development Party (AK Party), hailed the July Revolution as an event that represented an uprising against local authoritarianism and its foreign backers. The Bangladesh interim government's housing and public works adviser Adilur Rahman Khan said the deposed Hasina regime had made the state machinery a weapon of her Awami League party, and enforced disappearances and killings of dissidents became routine. – Bernama
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Nurul Izzah Calls On Bangladesh Interim Government Chief
WORLD By Shakir Husain NEW DELHI, July 27 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar called on Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka on Sunday. Yunus, during the meeting, sought Malaysia's support for Bangladesh to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "We want to become a part of ASEAN, and we will need your support," he told Nurul Izzah, according to a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha report. Bangladesh applied to become an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner in 2020. Yunus also invited Malaysian companies to invest in Bangladesh's growing economy. "Asia is ageing rapidly, but Bangladesh has a lot of young people. Half of our population is under the age of 27. Set up your industries here and export from Bangladesh. It will help both our economies," he said. The interim government's chief advisor informed the PKR deputy chief about Bangladesh's political reforms following last year's uprising, which ended Sheikh Hasina's nearly 16-year rule. Nurul Izzah spoke at Dhaka University on Sunday at a conference marking the first anniversary of the July Revolution.
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
MADANI Framework Remains Grounded In Strong Moral Values, National Unity
PUTRAJAYA, July 27 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that Malaysia's development under the MADANI framework remains grounded in strong moral values and national unity. Speaking at a Majlis Ilmu MADANI event with Islamic scholars at Kompleks Seri Perdana here today, Anwar said that even though Malaysia is a multiracial country, the values of Islam are important in guiding its future. He added that while Malaysia wants to keep up with modern technology and move forward quickly, it should always stay true to strong morals and compassion. "We need to progress. We need to ensure that there is peace and political stability, to craft an economic move forward at a faster pace, an accelerated pace. But at the same time, we are mindful of the fact that as Muslims, the issue of values is very pertinent," he said. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. Yusuf Islam, the British musician formerly known as Cat Stevens and Dr Shaykha Haifaa Younis, an American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist who is also a prominent Islamic scholar, were also present. On Gaza, Anwar said the world must not forget the pain and suffering endured by the Palestinian people amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Haifaa also shared her Gaza journey where the place transformed her into a more spiritual person and left an unshakable imprint on her heart. 'The ummah (the Muslim community) is going through a tough time. Gaza is bleeding. It hurts deeply when I raise my hands to Allah, I know everyone is doing their best, but still I ask, what more can we do.
