As the world fights Covid-19, there are also other issues worthy of our attention, like the erosion of integrity, the rise of corruption and the abuse of power.
Of note are the statements made by the then inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador during his no-holds-barred press conference and other press conferences prior to that, where he revealed there are factions in the 130,000-strong force that turned a blind eye to illegal activities, political interference and political party-hopping.
This easily falls under the rubric of "lack of integrity". Judicial independence is the bedrock of a functioning democracy. Everyone should be treated as equal before the eyes of the law, irrespective of political status or authority. A historic moment for our judicial system occurred in 1983 when a High Court sentenced a sitting minister to death for murder.
Many parties have called for posts such as the chief justice, attorney-general, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner and inspector-general of police to be put directly under a parliamentary committee rather than under a certain minister to prevent abuse of power. This is yet to be seen.
In the legislative branch, we recently saw cases of "party-hopping", "party-switching", "defecting", "floor-crossing" and other terms the press prefers to use, but historically, this has happened several times before.
This is an issue of keeping a promise to voters in elections. Personally, I think a party-hopper is a promise-breaker.
Thus, many parties have called for Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution, which provides for the freedom of speech, assembly and association, to be amended so that anti-party hopping laws can be enacted.
In Singapore, Article 46(2) of its Constitution states that "the seat of a member of parliament shall become vacant if he (b) ceases to be a member of, or is expelled or resigns from, the political party for which he stood in the election". It is high time we enacted a similar provision.
Points raised here do not intend to touch on the technicality of laws, but rather on the issue of integrity because some legislators may hop to other parties for valid reasons. But there are those who do it for personal gain. This is where integrity is compromised.
In Islam, God warns us against breaking promises and trust. He says: "O you who believe! Do not betray Allah and His Messenger, and do not betray your trust too while you know it (as a trust)" (al-Anfal [8]: 27).
Integrity in Islam is trust (al-amanah) and accountability (al-mas'uliyah). We will be questioned on the Day of Judgement whether we had integrity and accountability during our lifetime. Treachery will have dire consequences. Treachery can come in many forms, depending on the society we live in.
The more sophisticated a society, the more subtle the corruption. Gone are the days when bribery was only in cash. Nowadays, it can come in the form of services offered, paid exclusive club memberships, expensive golf sets and fully sponsored overseas trips.
The solution is to strengthen faith and instil the strong belief that there will come a time when we are held accountable for our actions before God. Secondly, close loopholes and flaws in our legal system. By enhancing integrity, the system can be improved.
The writer is Senior Fellow, Centre for the Study of Shariah, Law
and Politics, Institute of Islamic
Understanding Malaysia
