In a bid to tackle perceived inequalities in the nation’s justice system, Projek Sama has launched a first-of-its-kind database designed to monitor high-profile political corruption cases − the Prosecutorial Accountability Watch (PAW).
The launch comes as the nation marks eight years since its first democratic transition, ending 50 years of political monopoly by BN when Pakatan Harapan came to power on May 9, 2018.
However, Projek Sama convener Ngeow Chow Ying said that the landmark change is marred by “chronic injustice” plaguing the nation’s ordinary citizens, known as the “dua darjat” (double standards).
“’Dua darjat’ is a direct assault on the fourth principle of our Rukun Negara – ‘kedaulatan undang-undang’, the rule of law.
“And here is the thing that many people miss: it threatens everyone. Not just the poor. Not just the powerless. Everyone, except those who control the enforcement agencies,” Ngeow said in her opening address at the Co-Labs Coworking Space KL Sentral.
This "weaponised" inequality, Ngeow argued, is most visible when ordinary citizens face strict penalties for minor transgressions while the privileged are "quietly let off”, a sentiment that she claimed gained significant traction during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ngeow added that the public often only receives fragments of information regarding outcomes like discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) or discharge and acquittal (DAA).
This, she said, leads to widespread apathy and misinformation, neither of which benefits the scales of justice.
‘Reducing informational asymmetry’
In response to these concerns, the PAW database aims to address the issue by reducing “informational asymmetry” and giving the public clearer, evidence-based explanations of complex legal outcomes.
Developed in collaboration with legal scholar Farah Izzah Haron, data journalists Kuang Keng and Yan Naung Oak, Malaysiakini and Luminate, the database currently tracks 32 political corruption cases involving current and former elected officials that began or continued after 2018.
It highlights whether these cases ended due to the prosecution withdrawing charges or because of procedural failures, such as missed filing deadlines.
An AI-powered chatbot is also included within the interface to provide users with a comprehensive and digestible look at the prosecutorial process.
To ensure the data is accessible and user-friendly, the PAW microsite is being hosted by Kini News Lab, the award-winning data journalism arm of Malaysiakini.
The project, which cost RM60,000 to develop, is also seeking direct public support.
‘Virtual brick’
Projek Sama has launched a "virtual brick" campaign, inviting Malaysians to purchase bricks at RM100 each to help sustain this democratic infrastructure moving forward, with hopes of expanding its database over time with future cases.
While the database serves as a tool for public scrutiny, the launch also included a forum discussing prosecutorial accountability and the presentation of a comparative report titled “Beyond AG-PP Separation: Best Practices from Five Commonwealth Jurisdictions on Prosecutorial Accountability”.
The report compared prosecutorial transparency and accountability mechanisms in Malaysia with those in five Commonwealth jurisdictions, and outlined several key recommendations for reform.
The recommendations include:
A multi-layered appointment process for the public prosecutor;
Transparent removal mechanism;
A statutory framework governing the relationship between the attorney general and public prosecutor;
Stronger parliamentary oversight within the process, and
A comprehensive Enabling Act and prosecution code.
- Mkini
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