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Din: 'i have a problem.'

Neil: 'don't use that word; i am allergic to it.'

Din: 'ok, there is a warp in the space-time continuum that permeates this country.'

Neil:'ah...that. Pray continue.'

Din: 'The warp is this - why was it repeated that it wasn't an apology?'

Neil:'simple, because it was a parlay.'

Din: 'i don't see any pirates around, do you, so why a parlay?'

Neil: 'It was an admission of the inadmissibility of admitting to guilt and injustice against judges who are custodians of justice.'

Din: 'ah, but if judges run courts, and industrial courts can reinstate with full back-pay wrongly fired employees, why can't the Government who employs the judges admit to have wrongly fired them, make full apologies, pay them beyond el-cheapo ex-gratia and reinstate them properly? Aren't they employees of the State? We're not talking about one judge; six gringos were gunned down in broad daylight.'

Neil:'where's my cheroot? i can't think clearly.'

Din: 'Ok, you can't reinstate those who have gone on to a better world, but this is no Grisham novel because out of the six, four are still alive and kicking.'

Neil:'well, the reason adduced was that the Government doesn't want to prolong the crisis.'

Din: 'what crisis, Neil? The way they go about it is wrong. It's only a half-measure. Man, you know, it's like taking the tongkat without the ali.'

Neil:' Come to think of it, Din, you've a point there. If we want real judicial reform, the most important thing to protect is justice.'

Din: 'yeah, you got it. Without showing justice is really being upheld, how can crises ahead be averted by recourse to a judiciary system whose reformation will depend on the same type of mis-governance that initiates the reforming process?'

Neil: 'maybe there's another reason for the puzzling way they've gone about it.'

Din: 'i think they're protecting someone big. They probably think that if they make a full apology, it would undeniably mean that someone was wrong, and therefore culpable, with all its implications, one of which the implosification of Umno.'

Neil:'But, Din, we are talking about justice here. Right means right and wrong means wrong. What has it got to do with political fallout?'

Din: 'Neil, the entire history of our country's governance has been based on political interest, primarily of one party. Occasionally they may elevate to a higher value level but all will quickly fall back down into the hole of jungle instinct. They will continue the artificial edifice called Umno because that's how they can maintain their power and exert control over the country's wealth. Don't believe me? Find out exactly how much money is held in Umno's accounts, and i don't mean those in local banks. Just think of it. There was one time long ago that Umno had to borrow money from MCA. Today? Their lackeys hold all the purse-strings and other BN leaders can only blog to show it has never been a meeting of equals in the spirit of the coalition that had defined our nationhood. More like collusion of the weak waiting in line for leftovers from the mighty. Even sakai's have better honour and gratitude.'

Neil: 'Our indigenous natives don't even have an avenue to say they should be the ones privileged over and above those who want to lord over all by the sheer expedient of changing the word 'privileges' to 'rights', what more a Lord President and the high judges.'

Din: 'yes, Neil. I am sorry you have to say that. And i am going to be sorrier for what will happen next in another matter.'

Neil: 'and what's that, Din?'

Din: 'the matter of religious conversion. I think they are again doing another half-measure on this one which shows they're either damn insincere or outrightly stupid. Sorry i have to say that. Sometimes i forget myself.'

Neil: 'How is that a problem? They now want the person to declare in a form that he has informed his family he's converting. Isn't that good enough?'

Din:'of course not. Think about it. If i want to take advantage of certain privileges appertaining to those who profess the faith, why should i sound it to my family knowing full well they will disagree? And if i won't be doing so, how will the religious dept be able to prove that i have actually not done so if i declare i have done so? Especially since when it comes to confiscate my body, i am obviously quite dead and can't say anything?'

Neil:'hahaha!'

Din:' the matter is not just about faith. It's also about will. In this case, what if after converting i forget to write a will. All my property will not go to my family as a second blow to their not knowing i have converted. That's double injustice, even from my faith's point of view, i admit.'

Neil: 'thank you for being fair, Din. But what would be a better solution then?'

Din: 'I hate to say this, Neil, but let me try to be a better and more progressive person about faiths. It's like this. I believe in my Almighty, and i respect others who believe in their Almighties. I cannot believe there are more than one Almighty for all. In other words, Someone created me and that Someone also created the others. While we may individually exercise different ways of showing our faiths, all prayers go the same pair of Ears. Ok, so far?'

Neil:'ok, go on..'

Din: 'It's like going to a movie. You and i haven't been to a movie for a long time, Neil. We are poor. But let's say i went to one. Neil, there are always two doors to enter the theatre hall. The left door and the right door. It doesn't matter which door we enter. It may take longer to get to the seat if we enter by one than by the other. But that's only terrestrial convenience. In the end, we all sit down and watch the same movie made by the same Director.'

Neil:'...so you're saying..?'

Din: 'No i am not saying but i am asking did the religious dept people think through like this, or not?'

Neil: 'what's going to happen when they implement the forms thing?'

Din: 'more confusion and controversy, Neil. I really think it's not fair to the people of the other faiths. One cannot enforce one contract that contradicts the spirit of the earlier contract. The woman marries the man and bears him children, then he goes and convert himself with or without their acceptance, and he dies living a body and no will. Both will be taken away because his attestation in a form cannot be disproved if he cannot get up to say so.'

Neil: 'But in this country, anything's possible, Din.'

Din: 'hahaha! you're crazy, sometimes, Neil.'