From The Reuters
By Barani Krishnan
A decade ago, Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was on trial for sodomy and corruption in a trial that exposed the seamy side of Malaysian justice and the anxieties of a young country grappling with a crushing financial crisis and civil unrest.
Anwar is Malaysia’s best known political figure, courted in the U.S. and Europe and probably the only man who can topple the government that has led this Southeast Asian country for the past 51 years.
Now the leader of the opposition, will go on trial next week again charged with sodomising a 23-year old male aide. The trial once again looks likely to provide gory evidence and bringing some unwanted attention from the world’s media on this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people. It could also embarrass the government and draw international criticism.
Anwar vowed in a recent interview to fight what he says are trumped up charges.
The 14 months I spent covering the 1998 trials saw Anwar accused of sodomy with three men and having sex with a woman over a period of years. This case is simpler, there is just one accuser. All homosexual acts are illegal in this mainly Muslim country and sex outside marriage is illegal for Muslims.
The first trial was gruelling. Lines began as early as four in the morning as people tried to get into the court that could seat less than 200. Most of the spectators were ordinary people, but there was a sprinkling of dignitaries and businessmen who had known Anwar when he was in office.
There was a separate media queue and again a fight to get in line as dozens of reporters from local and international outlets jockeyed for space. Ringing the court were hundreds of riot police, backed by watercannon, waiting for trouble in a country where there were daily protests at the time, often involving tens of thousands of people.
Once inside the courtroom, things were equally unpredictable. Judge Augustine Paul, plucked from obscurity to oversee Malaysia’s most important criminal trial, won national fame for his oft-repeated response of “not relevant” to evidence introduced by the defence team.
The evidence itself was often contradictory and often bizarre. Ummi Hafilda Ali, a star witness for the prosecution called Anwar a “dog” and prayed that he would contract AIDS. At one stage the prosecution paraded a mattress in and out of the courtroom, saying that semen stains showed Anwar had had sex with a man on it.
One day outside the court, a witch doctor cast a spell, for no apparent reason.
Anwar showed up sporting a black eye that he said had been inflicted on him in prison by the country’s police chief. This time round he says that he was forced to strip and his sexual organs measured in a hospital.
The evidence to be presented by the prosecution this time looks likely to be just as sensational. The malaysianmirror web portal, backed by one of the government parties, said there will be 30 witnesses, a carpet and a video recording, as well as a DNA evidence brought into court.
Anwar’s team, citing two medical reports, says there is no evidence that Saiful Bukhari Azlan was sodomised. Saiful meanwhile has sworn on the Koran that he was and wasn’t best pleased when the charge against Anwar was changed to consensual sex.
One key actor in the whole drama is missing this time round. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who critics say used the 1998 trial to drive Anwar from office and to humiliate him, is no longer in power. That removes some of the sting.
Even so, incumbent premier Najib Razak attracts plenty of ire from the opposition. He has been forced to deny allegations from the opposition and opposition-supporting websites that he was involved in the lurid murder of a Mongolian model.
The country remains tense in the wake of the 2008 general election in which the government lost its customary two-thirds majority.
Can Anwar survive another trial? Without him, can the opposition prosper and have a real chance of winning at the ballot box in elections due to be held by 2013. Can Najib survive as prime minister if Anwar remains free and can he implement economic reforms?
Don’t forget the role of the newly passed DNA bill. I am sure the unholy haste in the way it was passed has EVERYTHING to do with this case.
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i feel that, the case brought up upon anwar, is very absurd. i hope, the court applies impartiality and if the judge reads the law well, then, he knows what justice is. in whatever circumstances, we, the people, pray that anwar will undergo a very safe and just journey on this prosecution. God will alwys be on the side of right people. amin.
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It is my fervent wish that this grotesque, absurd and utterly ludicrous attempt to defile Anwar Ibrahim’s character and derail his political career will backfire spectacularly on the evil men behind the conspiracy. The case deserves only to be thrown out – along with the irredeemably corrupt, patently irresponsible, and profoundly despised Umno/BN regime led by the most disrespected and mistrusted prime minister in the nation’s brief history. Only in Bodohland can something as bizarre and reprehensible as THIS occur!
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After seeing what happened at the Lingam Royal circus, I have been disappointed that no further action were taken against the major actors. The Razak Baginda murder trial was a farcical trial with no motive revealed. I feel so sorry for DSAI but let me say that whatever bad happen to him, we will know how to vote at the next GE. This trial is design to humiliate DSAI and nothing good will come out of it. The evil perpetrators will meet their fate like all evil men in history.
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Just leave everything to the court,we cannot decide by just having this ‘I feel that the case…..’feeling, who are we to decide? Don’t you know that anwar could have been a closet homosexual all his life? you are too influenced by his rhetoric speeches ever since he was a cabinet minister sometime ago, for once just let the court decide on this person’s fate. If he is innocent he would be released, no two ways about it. We can’t actually tell on a person’s sexual preference, even a tok lebai would find his underaged grand daughter sexually tempting, sometime ….I think saiful looks quite sweet to a person who had once studied at an all-male college (malay college kuala kangsar), famous for its ‘backside’ stories….wallahualam….
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rithysum8888 Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 8:21 am
To aziz,
What court are you on about? The only court Malaysia have are tennis, squash, and badminton court!!
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rithysum8888 Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 8:27 am
AND UMNO COURT!!
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Abu Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 8:33 am
if the court had been proven over and over again that it is a just court,your argument is valid. but, as we are so aptly familiar to the hidden strings that control the said court, each and every one of us knows that anwar has a chance of getting a fair trial as much as firaun has a chance of going to heaven.
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If it is consensual than – where is the proof ?
Why the change? so it can be in the High Court and not Syariah Court.
This penal code must be reversed. This law shall be obsolete one day.
Why? Because this is 2009…… we are not cave men.
UK has got civil partnership bill. Some parts of USA allows marriages of the same sex.
Surely this morality is for the people to decide.
Morality must not be mixed with legality. Religion are for moral and spirit support only.
When we mixed both together we will have some TRANSFORMATIONS that will soon be the beginning of a serious moral issue in the next decade.
Can anyone parent fathom the morality issue pertaining to their own children well being? Can anyone planned for the future and have their child to be only hetero’s and not Bi’s …. ???
Well ya – cross engineered their cells and do some cloning I suppose with DNA from Dolly the dead sheep.
Bad laws must be abolished. Rakyat of PAKATAN will win in 2013 General Election.
Rakyat shall table the bill through their representives in Parliament and have this law ABOLISHED.
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kalau PPSMI boleh di katakan silap oleh UMNO, tidak mustahil selepas 30 tahun akan datang hakim kata keputusan keatas DSAI adalah silap!!! maka secara ironinya para hakim dan peguan negara akan di hukum dengan ex-gratia RM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SALAM SEJAHTERA DSAI!
WALAU MACAM MANA TERUKPUN PERANGAI SESEORANG SAYA MASIH MENGHORMATI SETIAP PEMIMPIN DINEGARA INI.ADA TATKALA SESETENGAH PEMIMPIN TAK MENGIKUTI LANDASAN YANG BETUL DALAM MENANGANI SESUATU MASAALAH DI DALAM KONTEKS BANGSA MALAYSIA, KERANA KEBANYAKAN HANYA IKUT TELUNJUK PEMIMPIN PARTI POLITIK MASING MASING.ADA SETENGAH PEMIMPIN MEMPUNYAI MENTALITY ATAU TAHAP PEMIKIRAN YANG SINGKAT DAN TAK BERUPAYA FIKIR MENGIKUT ZAMAN SEPERTI YB KULIM.(INGAT SAYA HORMATI BELIAU JUGA) DAN ADA JUGA PEMIMPIN YANG TAK PROFESIONAL BIARPUN DARI PARTI PEMBANGKANG.ITU MEMANG BIASA DALAM HIDUP MANUSIA.
DALAM KES LIWAT DSAI PULA,MEREKA YANG ASYIK NAK TUDUH ADALAH DARI GOLONGAN YANG KURANG CERDIK DAN BODOH SOMBONG ,SENGAJA NAK MENGHUKUM DSAI SEOLAH OLAH SEMUA ORANG NI DOK ADA TEPI DSAI MELIHAT DSAI MEMASUKI ZAKAR MASUK DIDALAM DUBUR.{JANGAN MARAH YA, OPEN TALK}
PADAHAL MEREKA INI SEMUA MELUDAH DIATAS LANGIT.JANGAN LAH NAK MENGHINA SEORANG PEMIMPIN YANG PERNAH MENJADI TIMBALAN PERDANA MENTERI.MALULAH! DENGAR DAK UCAPAN PERSIDEN OBAMA KAT GHANA.LIHAT BAGAIMANA PEMIMPIN DIGHANA SALING HORMAT MENGHORMATI.
ITULAH CARA PERADABAN MANUSIA DAN KELAKUAN MURNI PEMIMPIN YANG SEMPURNA. TABIK KEPADA PRESIDEN OBAMA!
MANA ADA ORANG DI DUNIA YANG SUKA MENCACI INTELEK MACAM DSAI.YANG MENUDUHPULA SEMUA BERLAKUN SEPERTI ORANG ALIM, BIAR DIA MUSLIM,KRISTIAN HINDU ,BUDHA ATAU PUN PENGANUT IGAMA LAIN .
RESPECTLAH SIKIT LAH.SAYA BUKAN NAK ANGKAT ATAU PUN PUJA DSAI TETAPI SEBAGAI INSAN YANG BERPEGANG KEPADA NILAI KEMANUSIAN SAYA TAK AKAN MELEMPARKAN TUDUHAN LIWAT YANG TAK BERASAS INI.
NEGARA KITA AKAN MENJADI BAHAN KAJIAN DRAMA KOMEDI YANG PELIK DAN PEMERINTAH SEKARANG AKAN DI PANDANG RENDAH OLEH PEMIMPIN LAIN DUNIA.
SAYA MINTALAH PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA, PARA HAKIM DAN PENDAKWA RAYA SUPAYA TOLAK DAN BUANG KES LIWAT INI DAN BIAR SAUDARA DSAI BUAT KERJA SEBAGAI KETUA PEMBANGKANG YANG YANG MEPUNYAI VISI UNTUK MEMAJUKAN NEGARA KITA YANG AMAN INI BERSAMA.
PLEASE LAH DATUK SERI NAJIB! PLEASE STOP ALL THIS DRAMA AND I HOPE OUR BELOVED “YANG PERTUAN AGUNG HIS MAJESTY ” WILL PERSUADE PRIME MINISTER TO PUT A STOP TO THIS SHAMEFUL CASE. NOT RELEVANT AT ALL!
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