Ambiga: Let there be no witchhunt

ARCHIVES 2012

By admin-s On Jun 18, 2012

(Free Malaysia Today) – There is a fear lurking in the hearts of some that should Pakatan Rakyat form the federal government, it will embark on a witchhunt against the corrupt.

The condemning paper trails, observers noted, might land high-ranking civil servants, politicians and their kin as well as corporate captains behind bars.

The courts would need to work overtime as prosecutions would involve those at the bottom and at the top of the food chain.

But Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga argued that it would be counter-productive to do so.

The former Bar Council president said the nation should not be burdened with these court proceedings during a period of transition in governance.

“If Pakatan wins the next general election, they should refrain from initiating a witchhunt and I believe that they won’t resort to such a move based on the statements made [by the leaders].

“But at the same time, those guilty of corruption must be made accountable,” she told FMT.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

In view of this, Ambiga suggested that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) – a court-like restorative justice body – be formed to look into the cases of corruption and recovering lost assets.

She said the new government should also explore the possibility of granting amnesty, pointing out that there were many ways how this could be implemented.

“One way is to grant complete amnesty to those who choose to come clean while those who don’t will have to face the full force of the law.

“Those in the lower ranks of the civil service can be granted amnesty; there are no hard and fast rules, it requires thought and a study on the corruption,” she added.

Ambiga also stressed the importance of asset recovery.

“I suggest that they [Pakatan] look at amnesty together with asset recovery as this is one way that those guilty of corruption can be made accountable,” she added.

Conceding that the amnesty proposal would draw brickbats, she said: “Many will resist the idea but it must be explained to them, how and why it is important and how it can help move the nation forward.”

However, Ambiga said that amnesty should be for monetary-related offences and not crimes involving violence, such as alleged state-sanctioned communal bloodletting and custodial deaths.

“Acts of violence cannot be forgiven,” she stressed.