Governments lend themselves readily to conspiracy, which is hidden behind official secrecy legislation in the name of 'national security'. Corporations hide behind the subterfuge of 'trade secrets'. Among the numerous conspiracies deserving fame are three which have been made into movies.

Paul Scofield received an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons (1966). The movie also received an Oscar for Best Picture. Sir Thomas, a man of conscience, upheld his ethical and religious principles, along with his view of his official duty as Lord Chancellor against the will of Henry VIII, King of England. More could not accede to abuse directed against the Catholic Pope by the King when an application for divorce was not granted to allow Henry a new marriage so that he might provide England with a male heir.

More was silent. The silence was taken as opposition to the King, and opposition to the King was construed as treason. He was arrested and held for two years in the Tower on Henry's orders.

A conspiracy was formed by the government to charge him with taking as a bribe, a small silver chalice. A young man was found willing to lie under oath that he was witness to the act. On the basis of his perjury Sir Thomas More was beheaded. The young perjurer was later elevated by the King to Lord Chancellor of England.

The movie In The Name Of The Father (1994), is based on a book written by Gerald Conlon. Conlon was arrested and charged with being a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), aiding a restaurant bombing in which innocent people were killed. The defendants were subjected to intensive 'interrogation' by officers of the English Special Branch.

In the trial, testimony was given that confessions were forced from teenaged defendants using such methods as placing a gun into the mouth while others in the shadows shouted, "Shoot him! Shoot him!" Conlon, along with his father and five others, was convicted.

His father died while in prison. Conlon gained his freedom after 17 years of detention through the efforts of a brave and dedicated lawyer who gained inadvertent access to secret police files. There she found that a missing witness, who could provide an exculpating alibi, had indeed been found by the police, who knowingly hid this evidence and lied under oath to register a conviction against the innocent defendants. These officers were later brought into court and confronted with their perfidy. Although the defendants were freed, none of the policemen involved were charged.

A new movie, The Insider (1999), tells the story of the international tobacco companies and a conspiracy to sell cigarettes while concealing knowledge that nicotine is an addictive drug. Dr Jeffrey Wigand, who became a worldwide hero for his willingness to expose the intent and conduct of the tobacco companies, revealed that the chief executives of the seven largest tobacco companies lied under oath when they testified that nicotine was not addictive. The movie details the efforts (and money) tobacco companies expend worldwide to maintain their profitable enterprise at the peril of their customers' health.

Do policemen and businessmen knowingly lie under oath? The English Special Branch officers did. The tobacco executives did. In the Anwar Ibrahim case, a policeman under oath was asked if he would lie on instructions from superiors. He replied, "Maybe yes, maybe no, depending on the circumstances." This readily translates into a "yes" answer. The policeman is still in service. Does he represent the norm?

In Norse mythology, the gods of Valhalla and their opponents, the Jothuns, meet in conversation, under a rule that anyone who cannot answer the other's questions truthfully and honestly forfeits his life. In Malaysia, a serious credibility crisis exists because the coalition party in power is unwilling to meet the public or answer important questions forthrightly.