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Monday February 23, 2009

Zaid: Govt institutions are no longer neutral


GEORGE TOWN: The institutions of Government in the country are no longer neutral and this is causing democracy to crumble, said former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

“In a democracy, the institutions of government must be neutral and professionally run. You can’t have the police taking sides or the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) making statements supporting one side or the other.

“Twenty years ago, we lost the bench with the judicial crisis and the sacking of judges.

“That was the start and after that, we started losing other institutions of government like the media and with this, you can’t have a democracy,” Zaid said in his speech at the Penang Medical Practitioners Society Fellowship dinner here last night.

“I’m concerned about the state of democracy in this country and the hollowness of our institutions that people no longer respect,” he said.

On politics, Zaid said it had turned into a game of competition where everyone was out to protect their own.

He claimed today, this partnership has broken down in Barisan Nasional and likewise, “if PAS and DAP keep fighting and are not able to present a credible alternative and partnership to the people, then they (Pakatan rakyat) are also in trouble.”

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