Reforming the Law to Meet the Contemporary Challenges

Behind laws stand purposes. Beyond laws stand consequences. Even the best-intended laws often lead to a coterie of undesired and undesirable results. If social and economic data is gathered, a wide gap between theory and reality is always discernible. Periodically, this gap needs to be narrowed by law reform. Though there are existing modalities to keep the law dynamic, Malaysia needs to invest more in institutional and financial support for keeping the law abreast of the felt necessities of the times. An independent Law Reform Commission or Law Institute is needed to provide a principled and imaginative review of laws, institutions and procedures and to examine systemic and structural problems. In the post-GE14 political and social atmosphere, there is an urgent need to strengthen our check and balance institutions, promote openness and transparency in government, weed out elite corruption, boost economic growth, tackle poverty, adopt new growth models, and promote inter-communal tolerance. Effective measures towards these ends will help to restore faith in government.