‘In exchange for playing their roles, Azilah and Sirul will now be whisked away for cosmetic surgery and be resettled in a friendly country with new identities and guaranteed incomes for life.'

On Altantuya case: 'Guilty ones still free'

Lilian Tan: One of your readers wrote in with a very good question,'Will the Royal Malaysian Police allow the government and the prosecution to hang two of their own while the real culprits behind the murder of this foreign woman roam free?'

He also went on to express surprise that ‘the IGP and the senior brass of the Royal Malaysian Police have not stepped in to defend or speak up for two of their own.'

Well, how's this for a theory? Supposing the government (read IGP, Attorney-General etc) has struck a deal with Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar to take the fall in this ‘sandiwara'.

In exchange for playing their roles, they will now be whisked away to the US for serious cosmetic surgery to alter their faces (why not? Head honchos of South American drug cartels do it routinely) and be resettled in a friendly neighboring Asean country like Thailand with new identities and guaranteed incomes for life.

Incidentally, it has never been explained why the two men have always shown up outside court under such wraps.

Normally, defendants are only allowed to pull their shirts over their heads or keep their heads down, but it looks like their fellow policemen guarding them are also under orders to protect their anonymity.

This would certainly make it easier to whisk these two men out of the country without arousing any suspicion.

In any case, two men will still die by hanging to complete the ‘sandiwara' and appease Malaysians that ‘justice has been served'.

And in most likelihood, these two wretches will be some poor illegal foreign nationals picked up by the police whom none will miss or make a fuss about.

Possible? Never underestimate how ‘sophisticated' or ‘corrupt' the Malaysian law and justice systems have become.

R Partiban: Let me tell you the actual plan. Until today, both these murderers have not shown their faces to the public. The police are protecting they faces for what?

I still do not understand. The only reason for them to do this is so that they can hang some other drug addicts in the prison and let these two to walk free.

They will be given new identities and passports and a very, very big sum of money to settle down in overseas.

Conspiracy Theory:

Why didn't these two policemen have their photos printed by the newspapers?

Their faces were always well-covered. Rumour has it, it has all been ‘arranged'.

They will ‘die' and be given a new identity (new name, new IC) after they are ‘hanged'. Isn't this legal under a Witness Protection Act?

They scared that people recognise them with their new identity, so that's why they don't show their faces in public.

I dare the newspapers to publish their photos officially. Even then, maybe they will be sent to do plastic surgery so that people will not to recognise them.

John Johnson: We had the case of Anwar Ibrahim on his sodomy charge. All the evidence was taken from god knows where and witnesses were called from everywhere just to ensure the prosecution will have the necessary ammunition to nail Anwar.

Here we have two officers of the law who don't even know this woman. Why on earth would they want to kill her?

To blow up someone with C4 explosives is not an easy thing to do. Clearance must be obtained for the use of the explosives. Who gave this permission?

The justice system is a sham and it is embarrassing to witness a kangaroo court in action.

Two innocent people are to be put to death (they will probably ship these two somewhere else and, of course, pay them for their troubles and give them new identities).

Look at Pakistan where ‘people power' changed the legal system. We should follow their examples and put righteous judges and lawyers to uphold our justice system to an impeccable level.

Ravindran Mailvaganam: I am not a cynic but I am convinced that Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar will never be hanged.

Key witnesses were never called by either the defence or the prosecution to testify and during the trial both men were brought to the court with their faces covered.

If this is not another ‘sandiwara' staged to assuage the feelings of the public then I will eat my hat.

Remember that during the Mahathir administration, Mokthar Hashim who was convicted on a first degree murder charge - he had murdered an assembly person - was granted a free pardon by the Agong.

In 2006, the federal court upheld the death sentence passed on Kenneth Lee Fook Mun by the appeals court for the murder of accountant Lee Good Yew in 2000.

Lee was then granted a pardon by the Agong in January, 2008.

Millionth Citizen: It is so very sad to see how the government is manipulating the rakyat.

I am no wizard or god. It is a forgone conclusion that the two found guilty for murder and now sent to the gallows will have their sentence changed to manslaughter on appeal.

After all, the court did not find a reason for them to kill the Mongolian woman. In law there is no ‘mens rea'.

What is so troubling is the trend of how things are happening in the country. The judiciary, executive and the police - looks likes they are all in cahoots. God help us.

On Altantuya murder: It must not be over

Umran Kadir: What possible motive could these officers have had to murder Altantuya? To what extent, if at all, was this explored during the trial?

Do the masterminds behind this grisly murder seriously think that by silencing these fall guys that tongues will stop wagging?

Or perhaps they are more concerned with convincing themselves that this inconvenience will now disappear into the ether.

Sirul Azhar and Azilah will not talk now. There is too much riding on their imminent demise.

We can be certain that they have been told that their families will be taken care of, or perhaps that their families will be made to suffer, depending on whether or not they walk meekly to the gallows.

But that doesn't mean we have to forget that this 'trial' was a mockery and a shambles. In Malaysia justice is not blind, she is six feet under.

On Lim and Koh cross swords over 'backdoor' entry

Thomas Lee: I don't think Koh Tsu Koon can walk with his head up or talk straight into anyone's eyes as he has lost credibility in accepting the backdoor way to become a minister.

Koh had during the 12th general election campaign last year stated that he would not accept a senatorship to qualify to be a cabinet member. What happened to that pledge?

Any little respect we had for him is gone, now that he has shown himself to be one who lacks integrity and credibility.

And the irony of it is that his job as minister now is to monitor the credibility and performance of other ministers.

How can he do it when his own credibility is in doubt, having accepted the post through becoming a senator when, during the election campaign, he had said that he would not accept a senatorship?

Even S Samy Vellu kept to his word not to take up a senatorship to join the cabinet. Or was he not offered a minister-ship?

On Hindraf offers Najib 100-day ceasefire

Sritharan Palanisamy: Hindraf, I have written occasionally to give genuine remarks about your actions. It was just out of concern.

Your latest offer is for a 100-day truce during which the Najib government should release the remaining three of your members besides reaching out to address the needs of Indian Malaysians.

No doubt I, too, support and welcome the above but it should be in the form of diplomacy and not in the form of an ultimatum.

I am sure the top brass of Hindraf are aware that giving ultimatums to the PM and to the government will be taken as a challenge and as a test of their integrity.

Obviously this approach would not work unless there is a hidden strategy which we all really cannot comprehend.

It looks as though Hindraf is confused as to its very existence ie, whether it is a political or social movement.

It is best that Hindraf be distinctive without the influence of any political party. Only then will their decisions and moves be rational and accepted.

On the other hand, you might decide to become a political party. If that is the case, then announce it immediately.

You have a choice to either affiliate with the ruling coalition or with the opposition coalition which you might deem fit.

This is necessary, so that your members and the other Malaysians could understand where you stand and get an idea of your destiny.

I need not tell you that whatever decision and move on your part will affect the fate of the three Hindraf members still held under the ISA.

It would further affect all Indian Malaysians in general. Please think it over.

On Is Hindraf overreaching itself?

Kwee Yong: There's no doubt that many of the issues faced by Indians are also reflective of the whole population but to see everything through an Indian lens is not useful in tackling them for society as a whole.

If indeed these are issues which transcend all races, why dosen't Hindraf fight for issues in general rather than frame it as an Indian problem only?

The writer's suggestions for Pakatan state governments is commendable, more so that he did not specifically address them to Indians.

This is what I mean by fighting for issues rather than framing them within racial boundaries which will immediately reduce their power, impact and acceptability to the general public.

For example, if you want to tackle the issue of cronyism in Pakatan selection of election candidates, how useful is it to hammer on the fact that an Indian is not selected?

It distorts the issue that needs to be solved and is a hindrance to its effective solution.

In Bukit Selamabu, Hindraf went one step further and hammered on the fact that a 'Hindraf Indian' was not selected but we will not elaborate on that.

If Hindraf continues in its parochial racial view it will flounder and diminish in public support, even among Indians.

I'm Chinese and the last thing I want is a radical Chinese group fighting rabidly for Chinese rights and putting apprehension in Malays which may lead to a backlash in Malay nationalism.

On Nik Aziz suka Nga kenali Islam

Lee See Leong: Our Malaysia is a country with our Islam as its official religion and our federal constitution guarantees that other religions can be practised in peace and harmony.

Most of our Malaysians know and accept that our Islam is our official religion of our land.

For non-Muslims to accept our Islam as our official religion in Malaysia, it is wrong to deny them the rights to read and express their understanding of our Holy Quran which is for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Lim Keat Hoe:

Even if it's a personal letter to DAP's Nga, the message is loud and clear. The actions of the Umnoputras do not represent the teachings of Islam.

It is the scheme of the Umnoputras to perpetuate this divide-and-rule policy for if the non- Muslims are ignorant and fearful of Islam, it is better for their political strategy.

But the sad thing will be that the instruments of the state will again be the accomplices of the Umnoputras to intimidate and suppress the rakyat.

On Bkt Gantang: Lessons for BN, Pakatan

RJ Manecksh a: Another reason for the increase in Malay votes in this constituency is that the BN retched up the issue of the sultan being disobeyed by Nizar.

Bukit Gantang is within the Kuala Kangsar\Taiping district and passions do run high there when Malay and royalty are raised as issues.

But these issue won't work again at the next elections.

Kenny Gan: Bukit Gantang is more a lesson for BN than Pakatan. BN must ask itself two hard questions namely, ‘What do the non-Malays want?' and ‘What do the youth of today want?'

The answer to the first question is obvious.

The Chinese and Indians want a fairer distribution of resources. They will not be satisfied with some grants for vernacular schools come every election while they are expected to be grateful merely for their citizenship.

The youth of today wants accountability and respect of democratic principles. Every time Umno abuses the police, the judiciary, the MACC, the ISA or lets the corrupt ones go unpunished, it turns the youth of all races away.

The Perak power grab is a case in point.

Overthrowing the democratically elected government of Perak with the help of tainted defectors and then holding on to it by abusing the police, civil servants, the judiciary and Election Commission embodies all that the young and educated despise.

Pakatan Rakyat is able to attract the non-Malays and the young voters because it promises to give them what they want. Can BN respond in kind?

Instead of making concrete reforms for its own survival, Umno prefers to play the old game of racial polarisation to win elections.

To be realistic, Umno is unable to make the necessary reforms due to its structure and deep- seated culture. BN should hence be prepared to be defeated and go off quietly at the next general elections.