Opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim faces new gay-sex allegations that many observers believe are politically motivated.
By Sabrina Chan, BusinessWeek
History is repeating itself in politically embattled Malaysia. “This is malicious slander, and I’m not guilty,” declared former Deputy Prime Minister and current opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim, 60, on Aug. 7 in court after being formally charged for allegedly sodomizing a male aide, 23-year-old Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Anwar, who spent more than five years in jail before a court threw out earlier charges in 2004, helped power a strong performance by the three main opposition parties in national elections last February. The leader of a new opposition alliance, he recently announced his intention to run in a by-election on Aug. 26 for a seat in Parliament that had been held by his wife, Wan Azizah, who resigned to pave the way for his formal return to politics.
Although current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has repeatedly denied being behind the charges, many analysts see the allegations as politically motivated. (While homosexuality is not illegal in Malaysia, it is against sharia law that applies to the country’s majority Muslim population.) Anwar denies any wrongdoing, and his legal team has released a medical report issued by a hospital in Kuala Lumpur stating that the alleged victim showed no sign of being assaulted. R. Sivarasa, a lawyer representing Anwar, is confident of winning the case. “It will have no impact whatsoever on the by-elections. There will be no legal bar against contesting, and we will proceed to focus on the key issues of the campaign,” says Sivarasa, who is also vice-president of Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR). “It is a matter of time before he becomes the next Prime Minister.”
The ruling coalition has reason to worry about Anwar, who despite the latest charges is free on personal bond and can run in the by-election. Should he win, he will be well-positioned to lead the opposition alliance consisting of the PKR, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and multiracial Democratic Action Party (DAP). “This will be the mother of all by-elections,” says Tricia Yeoh, director of the Center for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur, who believes that the international community will be watching closely what happens.
The Dawn of a Two-Party System
Political analysts say Malaysia is seeing for the first time a two-party system with a strong opposition. That could force the ruling coalition, led by the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), to fight corruption and reform economic policies that have long given an advantage to the country’s majority Malays, says Steven Gan, editor-in-chief of independent news Web site Malaysiakini.com. The controversial National Economic Policy, launched by UMNO in 1971 as an affirmative action program for Malays, is often seen by its critics as a discriminatory economic policy against the minority Chinese and Indians.
Gan thinks that the implications of Anwar’s return would extend beyond Malaysia. “If he wins, Anwar would provide a very moderate version of Islam, much more so than current Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi,” he says. Although his opposition alliance includes the Muslim fundamentalist party PAS, Gan argues, Anwar has tempered the extreme Islamic rhetoric of the party’s leaders since taking the helm of the coalition.
Long before the latest twist in this political saga, Malaysia’s financial markets were in disarray. Two months ago bond markets were roiled when independent power producers defaulted on covenants attached to their bonds because of an unpopular windfall tax policy by the government. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Index has dropped 22% this year, while the Malaysian currency, the ringgit, is trading at a six-month low against the U.S. dollar.
Sabrina Chan is a reporter for BusinessWeek in Hong Kong.
BASED ON INDEPENDENT RANDOM SURVEYS,THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE MALAYSIANS ( 90%) DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE THE SODOMY ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ANWAR AND A GREAT MAJORITY (66%) BELIEVE THAT THE CHARGES ARE POLTICALLY-MOTIVATED TO SABOTAGE HIS POLITICAL AMBITIONS– ONCE AGAIN. WE MALAYSIANS IN GENERAL HAVE REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO VALID AND RELIABLE EVIDENCE AT ALL AND, IF THERE IS ANY,IT CAN ONLY BE ‘SEE-THROUGH’ FABRIGATED EVIDENCE THAT CANNOT STAND IN A GENUINE COURT OF LAW.
IF SO, WHY DON’T’ THEY DROP THE CASE AGAINST ANWAR? THEY CAN, BUT THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO CHARGE SAIFUL FOR MAKING A FALSE POLICE REPORT.
…… WOULDN’T SAIFUL(AND HIS UNCLE PET ) THREATEN TO EXPOSE ALL THE CONSPIRATORS,THEIR ERRAND BOYS, THEIR SECRET MEETINGS,THEIR PLANS ETC. TO THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD?
…….. WOULDN’T SAIFUL (AND HIS UNCLE PET) THREATEN TO REVEAL THE ‘TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE’ ( PAYMENT BOTH IN CASH AND KIND . ETC.) FOR HIS ROLE IN THE CONSPIRACY.?
THE WHOLE BUNCH OF CONSPIRATORS AND THEIR RUNNING DOGS WOULD BE TRAPPED IN THEIR OWN WEB OF VICIOUS AND MALICIOUS LIES AND FABRIGATION THE LAW MUST BE ‘MODIFIED’ TO PROTECT THE HIGH AND MIGHTY WITH ABSOLUTE POWER AND IMMENSE WEALTH. THEY ARE THE REAL LEADERS. THEY ARE THE TRUE PATRIOTS.THEY DO NOT LIKE TO BE CHALLENGED!!
SO THE ‘DUE PROCESS OF THE LAW’ MUST PROCEED, NOT TO SEEK TRUTH AND JUSTICE , BUT TO COVER UP ALL THE FILTH AND DIRT LEADING TO THE ALLEGATIONS THE MAJORITY OF THE MALAYSIANS FEEL THAT ANWAR WILL NOT GET THE CHANCE FOR A FAIR,TRANSPARENT AND OPEN TRIAL. BASED ON THE RECENT EVENTS AND INCIDENTS , THE MAJORITY BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE A REPLAY OF THE SHAM TRIAL OF 1998. BUT.WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL,AND FOR THE BN GOVERNMENT IN PARTICULAR.
…..ABROAD,OUR INABILITY TO INTERPRET AND APPLY ‘OUR OWN LAWS’ FAIRLY AND JUSTLY WILL BE VIEWED WITH RIDICULE AND CONTEMPT. ..OUR HONOUR AND DIGNITY AND,OUR VERSION OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE WILL COME UNDER CYNICISM AND SKEPTISM.
……AT HOME,MALAYSIANS. WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY AWARE THAT ALL THE PROMISES MADE TO REFORM THE LAW ENFORECEMENT AND THE DISCREDITED JUDICIARY ARE MERELY CLEVER TRICKS TO HOODWINK THE PEOPLE. IT WILL BECOME APPARANT THAT THE RULING ELITE WILL KEEP THE CORRUPTED SYSTEM INTACT BECAUSE WITHOUT SUCH A SYSTEM THEY WILL BE’ OUT OF BUSINESS’ IN NO TIME . THE PEOPLE WILL SEE CLEARLY THAT THE SODOMY PLOY SERVES A DUAL PURPOSE: TO SABOTAGE ANWAR’S CHALLENGE TO BN REGIME AND SECONDLY, TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED POLITICAL SURVIVAL.OF THE REGIME THAT SEEMS TO HAVE LOST ALL SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
MALAYSIANS OF ALL WALK OF LIFE VIEW SLANDER NOT JUST AS CRIME BUT A SIN — AN UNPARDONABLE SIN . THIS IS A UNIVERSAL BELIEF THAT CUTS ACROSS RACE,RELIGION AND COUNTRY. ON THIS GROUND ALONE,THE RULING ELITE HAS LOST MUCH CREDIBILITY AND MUCH SUPPORT. BN’S LOSE IS PR’S GAIN.
THE PEOPLE ARE DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY THAT THE BN GOVERNMENYT IS SO INSENSITIVE AND UNRESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSING NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE..THE ECONOMY IS IN A RUT. CORRUPTION IS RAMPANT. CRIME AND INFLATION RATES ARE SOARING. OBLIVIOUS TO ALL THESE, THE GOVERNMENT IS BUSY PLAYING THE GAME OF SODOMY .THIS TIME THE ODDS ARE AGAINST THEM. APPARENTLY, IT IS ON A SELF-DESTRUCT MODE.
IRONICALLY, IT IS THE RULING ELITE WITH ITS PERVERTED PRIORITY THAT IS ‘HELPING’ ANWAR TO BECOME THE NEXT P.M. SOONER THAN EXPCTED.THAT WILL BE POETIC JUSTICE…
Ya Allah ya Tuhanku tunjukkanlah kebenaran, jauhi penganiyaan, bersatulah orang-orangku, juga rakyat Malaysia kita perlu hidup harmoni…. perbalahan politik biarlah perbalahan ideologi bukan khianat mengkhianati…..kita perlu bersatu, tiada yang tertindas. Hidup sekarang bukan macam dulu, gaji cikgu hanya RM15.00, lepas tu RM103.00, RM303, RM485, kini dah beribu-ribu tapi hidup makin sempit, sesak sesesak menghidu nafas di kota Kuala Lumpur…. orang kampung lagi truk. Dulu ayahku petani, boleh beli durian berguni-guni bila musimnya, kini nak beli sebiji durian di bandar kena fikir banyak kali, hutang kad kredit, hutang koperasi, hutang bak rakyat tak usah kira….Turunlah harga barang, kita tanam sayur belakang rumah atau dalam pasu bagi baja asli..free
The conspirators plans on all this dirty politics have all gone wrong & they are desperate. They will have to C4 so-do-mee, so-do-father, so-do-fiancee, so-do-uncle pet, so-do-lawyer, etc if the case is dropped. So, so-do-mee is sweating thru his a**hole now while in PDRM protection. DSAI can also sue so-do-mee for defamation for making false report…
our Home Minister really makes me feel like vomitting when ever he speaks.actually as an ex-foriegn minister he shouldn’t have come home to be a home minister.as there is no home for him here.his ancestors are from the middle east ma.
after going thru his CV in wikipedia, i nearlly fainted as he was born in Kampung Melayu, Air Itam, Penang, which i feel so shameful as i’m a Penangite too.
what DSAI said about the police not giving him the report by sialfull was true that they keep on editting the report and now it’s “suka sama suka” charge! good work PDRM..i wonder if the police was forced to edit the report? can any sincere policeman make a report first, that he is under duress to edit and get the same protection as sialfull, en.syed hamid alibaba?
my last question to you Botak is, if your daugther’s boyfriend report to you first that he has slept with her last night, will you give him the same protection as sialfull?
pls DSAI , you are the only one who can clean our govt. and save our Country.
i hope at least 90% Malaysians are behind you..Lawan Tetap Lawan.
Salam semua blogger
Ingat semua kes-kes yang berikut :-
1. Kos membaiki kereta buatan Malaysia V6 terlampau mahal di K. Terengganu
2. Penahanan ketua kastam ( Wahid ) dan pembantu pemglibatan dalam kes rasuah dan kemasukan
pelacur asing.
3. Kehilangan barang bukti (dadah RM sejuta), kes rogol gadis bawah umur di balai Polis
dan keganasan anggota polis di Bandar Mahkota Cheras
4. Kes pembunuhan Nurin dan kehilangan Sharlinie
5. Dimana P S Bala, Dr. Osman dan Saiful disembunyikan
6. Kes MRR 2 Kepong, Yang Membahayakan semua pengguna jalanraya
7. Pelupusan dokumen penting kerajaan Negeri Selangor dan Perak
8. Pencerobohan Hutan Simpanan ( Selangor, Pahang, Penang dan Sabah )
9. Pemindahan wang BAlkis Ke personal Akaun
10. Dan pelbagai-bagai lagi… DNA serupa cap jari tak akan berubah dan pudar seumur hidup.
Dari faktar-faktar di atas, adakah pihak kerajaan bertanggungjawab untuk mengambil tindakan dan siasatan ? Dimana kesimpulannya ???? kenapa tak diumumkan kepada masyarakat umum….asyik dan tak habis-habis bangkitkan isu liwat DSAI….Apa niat sebenar kerajaan…kata nak jaga kamakmuran , keselamatan dan keamanan rakyat…Pada PRU 12… mana ada…tak jaga pun…cakap tak serupa bikin…Oleh dari itu…sama-samalah kita mendoakan kemenangan DSAI… Di Permatang pauh….HIDUP DSAI…LAWAN TETAP LAWAN…LAWAN SAMPAI MENANG….
Being a Malay and a Muslim does not make this country his beloved nation. Look what is happening to poor DSAI? One problem after another seem to crop up, appearing and confronting him. These problems have nothing to do with religion or race but politics, just politics!!. The powers that be are preventing him from taking over and they are using whatever tactics they can get hold of to prevent DSAI from marching into Putrajaya. BUT DON”T FORGET, IT IS THE WILL OF GOD THAT HE SITS AT THE PM’s DESK IN PUTRAJAYA. IT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HE SITS AT THE PM’s DESK IN PUTRAJAYA. IT IS THE GOVT OF THE PEOPLE, OF THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE THAT WILL DIRECT HIM TO HIS LEGITIMATE SEAT IN PUTRAJAYA!!!!!! So I wish DSAI all the best.
Correction—-Govt of the people, for the people and by the people. Sorry for the error.
Sometimes before we get angry at the ridiculous, unbelievable political lies and manouvering, we have to laugh first, cos apparently, we got a lot of JOKERS running our country. Thanks for the entertainment…
Next, I want to recommend that we do an intensive comprehensive training for every MP & Minister. The courses I suggest - money management by Robert Kiyosaki, motivation by Anthony Robbins, the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra, How to be Happy by Dalai Lama, Weight Loss with Dr Phil, Warrior Training with T. Harv Eker….imagine what kind of country we can become if we are open to this idea…www.richandtalented.com
Saya sungguh hairan dengan tingkah laku Pak Lah & Co. Tak ada cara lain ke untuk menyekat kemaraan Dato Seri. Kes liwat lagi? Sudahlah, saya percaya saya cakap benar apabila saya berkata rakyat Malaysia tak kira apa kaum pun TIDAK minat dengan kes liwat. Orang ramai percaya ini karut tetapi jikalau benar, orang ramai tak kisah juga. Ini hal peribadi orang. Kita TAK minat apa oriantasi seksual seseorang. Lihatlah, apa yang disiarkan dalam akhbar luar negeri, “Malaysian Court to hear lurid details of sodomy case”. Negara kita menjadi satu perkara untuk orang ketawa sama kita. Seolah masyarakat Malaysia suka mendengar dan sibuk pasal hal peribadi orang lain. Malulah kita. Kalau liwat adalah salah di segi agama, bukankah kita sudah ada Mahkamah Syariah untuk mendengar kes begini. Buat apa mahkamah sivil kita juga sibuk dengan perkara ini. Kes pembunuhan rakyat Monggolia ditangguh dan sibuk pula dengan kes liwat. Apa punya otak ini? Benarkan saya bercadang supaya apabila Dato Seri mentadbir negara ini, undang-undang sodomi ini dimansuhkan. Buat apa kita ada undang-undang ini? Begitu ramai orang yang liwat dan menggidap penyakit AIDS. Mengapa mereka tidak di dakwa dengan undang-undang liwat? Lebih baik mansuhkan sahaja undang-undang ini.