Bersih has urged all court proceedings involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's bid to be held under house arrest to be made public rather than in the chamber.
The electoral reform group said this in response to the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision yesterday to allow Najib's application to switch proceedings of his judicial review bid to be held in the chamber instead of regular court proceedings.
“Since the case involves a high-profile individual, is of public interest, and involves public funds, it needs to be done openly and transparently that is available to the public.
“Proceedings of such a high-profile case should be done openly so that the people know its progress,” Bersih’s steering committee said in a statement today.
“Otherwise, it would create a perception of double standards, which can erode public confidence in the government and the country’s judicial system,” added the group.
Yesterday, it was reported that the media was not allowed to cover the proceedings of Najib’s judicial review bid after they were switched to the chamber.
Judge Amarjeet Singh allowed Najib’s application to convert the open-court proceedings into a chamber matter.
Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court this was due to the nature of the application as it involved sensitive court filings.
‘Preventing public scrutiny’
Echoing Bersih’s sentiments, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said barring the press from covering the case effectively prevents the public from monitoring a corruption case that rocked the nation.
“While we respect the powers of the judiciary and our judicial process, it cannot be seen to undermine democratic principles.
“Najib’s bid to seek house arrest for the remainder of his jail term is a matter of public interest and the basic tenets of democracy require the judicial process to be transparent and not shrouded in secrecy,” it said in a statement.
The NGO added that barring the media from covering the case would only further undermine the people’s trust in justice and democracy.
“This further sets a precedent where media cannot cover issues that involve political expediency, creating a system of opacity that leads to a trust deficit.
“His recent partial pardon has already set a precedent where the grounds and justification for the decision are yet to be disclosed and made transparent to the public.
“As such, we reiterate that the judicial system must be underscored by public interest and democratic principles and there should be no semblance of double standards present,” it said. - Mkini
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