The men who rule from the shadows

 

Dennis Ignatius

 

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The men who rule from the shadows

20ThursdayNov 2025

Posted by Dennis Ignatius in Human rights, justice

[1] Two recent issues in the news are a stark reminder of the power of the men who rule from the shadows. The first has to do with the long-running saga of a Hindu mother whose child was stolen from her and illegally converted; the second relates to the disturbing cases of enforced disappearances of citizens who must now sadly be presumed dead. 

[2] Both cases demonstrate very clearly that when it comes to certain issues, the constitution is irrelevant, the laws don’t apply, the verdicts of the court are ignored.  The men who rule from the shadows control the vast machinery of government; they call the shots and determine the outcome. Their word is law. The politicians, willingly or otherwise, dance to their tune.

[3] In the case of M Indira Gandhi, the highest court in the land had ruled that the unilateral conversion of her daughter was unconstitutional. The courts have also repeatedly ordered the police to locate and return the child to the mother. 

[4] And for 16 years, the government has basically declined to act. They have procrastinated, made excuses and evaded their reasonability. Successive IGPs have, at one time or another, denied knowledge of the father’s whereabouts, suggested that they were negotiating his return from abroad or simply refused to abide by the court order. Successive prime ministers too have deliberately ignored the whole issue.

[5] Few believe that the authorities are unaware of the father’s whereabouts or that he has fled abroad. The only conclusion that can be reached is that the men who rule from the shadows have decided to shield the father and stymie the return of the child because they do not agree that the child’s conversion should be reversed, as per the court’s decision.

[6] Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh – who both appeared to have run afoul of the men who rule from the shadows – have been missing for almost a decade. A number of official enquiries including a seminal one by Suhakam implicated the police. Instead of acting to uncover the truth including who ordered their abduction, the government closed ranks around the abductors. They appear to be doing everything in their power to cover up the truth. 

[7] Now a high court judge has concluded yet again that the Government and police must be held accountable. It’s a “significant milestone in recognizing state responsibility for such serious human rights violations…” said Suhakam. The families of both men were also awarded significant monetary damages.

[8] Instead of taking this latest ruling it as a wakeup call, the AG’s office immediately filed an appeal. The minister of home affairs – who has done nothing about all the earlier reports – now glibly says he is waiting for yet more reports from the police.  And he had the audacity to add: “We are committed to upholding the rule of law, seeking justice, and restoring confidence in the integrity of our institutions.” 

[9] The government is, of course, being utterly dishonest. They know the truth. The facts are clear enough. They understand full well that a dastardly crime – the abduction and extrajudicial killing of both men – have been committed by agents of the state. But their fealty to or fear of the men who rule from the shadows have kept them from doing the right thing. 

[10] The stark reality is that when it comes to certain issues, we can expect no support from the government or the law, for that matter. Extremist forces can act with wanton disregard for the law because they know that when push comes to shove, the men who rule from the shadows will always be there to protect them.

[11] This Is the ugly truth about justice in Malaysia. And it is made all the uglier by the fact that PKR, UMNO and DAP are all complicit in one way or another. They have the power to uncover the truth and seek justice for the victims, but they continue to either participate in the cover up or look the other way. It ought to deeply concern us all.

[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 20 November 2025]