"A motion in parliament will not change anything" - Shahrir Samad

A motion which will be filed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Parliament to criticise the conduct of the Federal Court judges during former Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s case will not change anything.

Johor Bahru MP, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said the proposal merely reflects the feelings of anger and disappointment by some.

"According to the Dewan Rakyat, the conduct of the judges can be discussed if there is a substantial motion.

"It is the right for the lawmakers if they feel disappointed but it would seem to indicate that we are only disappointed when the situation is not in our favor and we blame the system when it does not carry the outcome that we want," said the Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarian.

He added that the proposal also would not change anything other than the opportunity for them (the opposition) to vent their anger when the results is not in their favour.

Hulu Selangor MP, who is also the Deputy Education Minister, P Kamalanathan disagreed on the filing of the motion, saying that there are more pressing issues that need to be discussed at the Parliament.

“Usually at the Parliament, we will raise issues concerning the welfare of the people. We want to help the people. There should be a clear line between the people’s interest and personal interests.

“We’ve been through this (Sodomy II case) for seven years. Anwar himself had appointed 14 lawyers to defend him. We need to respect the court’s decision and move forward. There are other important issues,” said Kamalanathan.

Meanwhile Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said even though the court has reached its decision, it does not mean parliamentarian cannot question the conduct of the judges.

“The decision of our Federal Court has invited criticism and concerns from many organisations, such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Bar Council and the United State embassy.

“However, the motion is unlikely to be passed since we (the Opposition) do not have the number,” said the DAP parliamentarian.

Batu MP and PKR vice-president Tian Chua also agreed with the proposal to file the motion to parliament.

“It is necessary for upholding the integrity of our judiciary system,” said Tian Chua in a short message (SMS) to Astro AWANI.

On Tuesday evening, PKR president and Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the party would file a motion in Parliament to criticise the conduct of the Federal Court judges who presided the case.

On the same day, the Federal Court had ruled that Anwar, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, had failed in his final appeal against his conviction of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, and upheld the five-year jail sentence imposed by the Appeals Court when convicting him last March 7.