Speech by Michael Danby, read at Parliament in Australia on February 2, 2009
Speech by Michael Danby, Federal Member for Melbourne Ports and Chair of the Australian Parliamentary sub-committee on Foreign Affairs
Tonight, I want to speak out on behalf of fellow democrats around Asia, who are flabbergasted at events unfolding in Kuala Lumpur. I refer to the trial which began today of the Malaysian Opposition Leader, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. For the second time, the Malaysian leader of the Opposition, Anwar Ibrahim is on trial for what they call in ancient grating English, ‘Sodomy’. For the second time, the Malaysian legal system is being manipulated by supporters of the incumbent government to drive Malaysia’s best known leader Anwar Ibrahim out of national politics. For the second time, documents are being forged, witnesses are being coerced, evidence is being fabricated.
This trial, like the first trial of Anwar Ibrahim, is a disgrace to Malaysia a country that aspires to democratic norms, where parties change power peacefully and political opponents are not persecuted by organs of the state. Perverting the legal system for political ends by charging Anwar with sexual offences is an affront to human rights. In the first place, the offences with which Anwar has been charged that should not be on the statute book. Australia abolished its laws punishing consenting adult homosexual acts decades ago, as did most advanced countries. It’s long past time that Malaysia also repealed these laws, which it inherited from British colonial times. If these laws did not exist, they could not be used for political purposes as we are currently seeing.
In the second place, everyone in Malaysia, and everyone in the international legal community, knows that Anwar is innocent of these charges. This week the Wall Street Journal published a first-hand account of how the Malaysian Special Branch police fabricated the charges that led to Anwar’s first trial in 1998. Munawar Anees recalled how he had been starved and beaten into signing a false confession which implicated Anwar. Now it’s happening again. These are the lengths to which the corrupt elements within the Malaysian ruling party are willing to go to frame Anwar and remove his threat to their power.
Malaysia is a long-time friend and ally of Australia. Over the past 40 years Malaysia has become an increasingly prosperous and successful multi-cultural society. We continue our friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with Malaysia, which is a deep economic, strategic and cultural relationship.
But Malaysia is also a country of 28 million people who have lived ever since independence more than 50 years ago under the rule of the same party, the United Malay National Organisation or UMNO. UMNO has stayed in power by playing on the Malay fears of the Chinese and Indian minorities. So long as Malaysian politics were polarised even subtlety along racial lines, so long as the Malays voted loyally for UMNO, then the self-perpetuating UMNO oligarchy, who have grown rich through long years of power and through their cozy links to business, would be safe.
That’s why Anwar Ibrahim is such a threat. For the first time Malaysia has a charismatic Malay opposition politician able to appeal to Malay voters and pose a real threat to UMNO’s hold on power. At the 2008 elections Anwar’s People’s Justice Party and its allies won 60 seats away from UMNO and its allies, creating a viable two-party system for the first time. As a result, Abdullah Badawi was deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Najib Razak, but the threat from Anwar’s coalition continues to grow. So even though the first attempt to frame Anwar on these spurious charged had failed, the corrupt forces within UMNO have decided to try again.
I recently had the privilege of meeting Anwar Ibrahim when he was in Melbourne for the Parliament of the World’s Religions in December. He is an intelligent and articulate and passionate democrat. He is committed to a thorough reform of Malaysian government, to rid it of the cronyism, corruption and authoritarian tendencies that have gained ground since Mahathir Mohammed became Prime Minister in 1981. He is a great, although not uncritical, friend and admirer of Australia. If he were to become Malaysia’s Prime Minister our relationship with Malaysia would become even stronger.
I am pleased that in the last few hours the judge has suspended the case against Anwar for a day. I hope Prime Minister Najib and his ministers are not involved. The best way for them to prove that they are not is to intervene and have these charges withdrawn, and those responsible for fabricating them punished. Malaysia is a great country, and an emerging power in our region. It can do without the embarrassment that these disgraceful proceedings are undermining its newly won democratic credibility.
Malang sapa kata tak berbau. Buat yang Tuhan murka, dah tentu buruk padahnya. Sapa kata Najib bahagia ? Azab tersiksa kerana zalim. Sapa salah ? Dirinya sendiri. Kerana sebesar-besar kezaliman menurut kehendak nafsu !
Tak cerdik rupanya, Najib Tu ! Sanggup diperkudakan oleh nafsunya sendiri ! Berakal ke tidak Najib Tu ? Bila saya tanya anak saya…Kata anak saya itu, Najib ‘sondar’ iman ! Kerana sanggup lawan Tuhan ! Fitnah Tuhan larang tapi dia sanggup julang !
Sah tak terpakai ! Benda tak terpakai elok campak dalam Tong Sampah. Manusia kalu tak terpakai, apa patut buat, sedara ? Cadangan daripada anak saya jugak : PAKATAN CUCI SAMPAI LICIN !
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The devils are on the streets, please take care of your belongings…
Anwar’s followers…. DO NOT Create trouble please.
We have faith in our heart!
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DEAR ALL,
THIS TIME THERE WILL BE A BIG SURPRISE. KEEP UP THE FIGHT
SHARMA
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Hari ini bermulalah segala konspirasi politik untuk menuduh serta penaburan fitnah ke atas DSAI…
Selepas membaca ulasan mengenai perkembangan di mahkamah..terasa seram sejuk mendengar tohmahan yang melampau dari mulut si ‘makhluk hina saifoool’..*ptuih*..hina sungguh mulut dia tuh!!
pasti, kebenaran akan muncul..DSAI tidak bersalah!!
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Don’t just post anything just because it tilts in your favour as it might backfire on you. Didn’t you read the part where it says australia abolished punishing consenting adults and malaysia shoul do likewise. Are you saying that by posting this message, you agree to this view on homosexuality?
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what we had now?something that really important for all malaysian to know.someone was told us,speaking to the their parliament where exactly not involved to our country.to withdrown the trial of DSAI case.perfectly right of what he’s saying over DSAI,to see DSAI as a leader and priemier of this country is must.it is must to see DSAI as our PM soon.i rather die for someone like Anwar than najib……hidup Anwar…
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Hello everybody,
Michael Danby is a great democrat. He is a person who believes in progressive ideas and I fully support him and his previous colleague Natasha Stott Despoja, a fellow democrat.
The action by the government is a disgrace to Malaysia. It is a disgrace to islam. It is a disgrace to humanity.
I too have felt the repercussions of the Malaysian Governments ignorant and corrupt ways.
In 2008 my Uncles Company Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd, won a High Court order to compensate the company money, of the sum of nearly 80 million ringgit. A court case that cost the company much money, and incurred massive losses. After the court order, the Pahang Government was ordered to make payment. That was 2 years ago. The government has not paid a cent.
Malaysia as advanced as it thinks it is, is a terrible place for foreign investors. If the Government can ignore court orders, can you imagine what the Government is capable of?
What can be worse? Going to jail for 10 years, beaten, tortured and spat on.. for 10 years?
Anwar suffered in jail for 10 years under the cruel hand of Mahatir. An Islamic Corrupt Dicatator, who despised and hated the west…. is this a good example of a righteous muslim?
Does UMNO, the racist corrupt, dirty government best represent the Malaysian people? I ask again, does it do Progressive Islam justice? I think not….
As for this Anwar case, if he is found guilty, we would have been right all along. That there really is no hope for rule of law in Malaysia.
Najib, a western educated and intelligent man, understands the system. He knows what must be done to survive.. to keep his position of power and the support of the people. But the Malaysian people are growing smarter. They seek fairness, a level playing field, freedoms that the West have, that Malaysia does not have.
If Anwar were to be released, the next general election will be the end of UMNO.
Let go UMNO, you can not change the will of the people. Great leaders do the right thing… not ignore their conscience and their morality..
All the best Anwar.. you have many supporters globally..
SC
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this trial piss me off.everyone at kelab darul ehsan golf is really fed up.apahal si govt ni?
what a joke.did you guys see dalam tv how the court was told ds tanya ‘can i fxxk u?’then he
takut kena rape masuk dalam toilet,clean himself then come out pakai tuala..apa benda punya
crap ni? piss me off!
kalau takut kena ‘rape’,masuk dalam toilet kunci la toilet and menjerit lah! cis!bodoh punya
penipu saiful.
yang govt pun,apahal? apa nak jadi BN ni?you humiliate orang macam tu is berdosa.did you goons
think you gonna get more votes?
what do you think is gonna happen when dsai’s lawyer cross examine the evidence that for sure
tak ada in the first place.
cis!
jo
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It’s such a shame & waste of time & money for the world to judge the situation. All these is so clear cut even for the blind to “see”…!!!
You see, try & try again they wanna turn the party upside-down. But they are still intact…!! So, the only way out is to remove “the root” of their problems…
It has to be a case where they know they’ll win at every nook & corner. Which I think they will. This case was not created to loose….!!!!
When someone got away with murder, what makes you think this is any fairer…??????????????????
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DEAR DSAI, I AGREE WITH veryupset. DSAI, YOU HAD BEEN A SUBJECT OF HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION WORLD OVER AND ALMOST ALL HAVE REPEATEDLY PRAISED YOUR CAPABILITIES. WE PRAY FOR YOUR SAFTEY. WE WANT MALAYSIA TO BE A VERY SAFE AND PROSPEROUS COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN. OUR COUNTRY’S NAME IS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN INTERNATIONALLY CURRENTLY. PLEASE BE OUR SAVIOUR AND PROTECT THE GOOD NAME OF MALAYISA AND HER CITIZENS OF MULTI NATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL INHERITANCE WHICH SHE HAD BEEN ENJOYING ALL THESE YEARS SINCE INDEPENDENCE. GOD BLESS DSAI AND MALAYSIA. MALAYSIA WE LOVE YOU.
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Hi all,
He should step dowm. World really not shame to deal with Altantuya boyfreind
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It is not the 1st time i’m ashame being malaysian. malu wooo, satu dunia ketawa kita punya perversion of judiciary system…aiyoo letak muka dalam toilet bowl pun tak malu ini macam…malu…malu…maluuuuuuuuu….tapi saiful tu jambu jugek, hantar dia sg buluh prison…cuba. satu prison punya DNA ada dalam anu dia…kih kih kih..lahanat punya orang.
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DSAI, We pray for your safety and well-being. Be steadfast and Allah SWT will determine everything. Najib and Porky Lady have been laughing all this while but after this they’ll be crying till kingdom comes! I’m ashamed to be associated with Malays like the two mentioned idiots and the moronic cousin but my pride is boosted because I have intelligent, brave and vocal leader like you!
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yessss….guy’s and lady’s the follower of DSAI n olthough for Pakatan Rakyat.keep it up for this spirit n support for DS.pray for him and the victorious ahead and soon…..
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Let Saiful speaks while he still can. When the time comes for you to speak, let the whole world know what the truth is. Say the right words and produce the right material evidence, and you will find yourself at the right place you and your loved ones rightly deserve.
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It is time that for all Malaysians to consider to lobby for the dropping of penal code 377. This outdated code has done more damages than good to the people.
The British has left it to kill the Malaysians slowly.
Anwar, truth will prevail. Fight on!
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It is not my intention to interfere with my neighbour’s politics but, as an outsider, I am amazed at the way events are unfolding. I just could not comprehend how a strong young man, by the name of Saiful, could not fight back an old man, i.e. DSAI, from `sodomising’ him. I could not understand, how a person claimed to be afraid of an old man and went into the toilet, only to come out with a towel! Its beyond belief! Any right-minded person can tell that Saiful is lying and he is doing a terrible job. I wonder how much he is being paid so that he’s willing to sacrifice his `maruah’ and honour to the dogs.
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well well anak melayu,
only after several occasions of trials and events i notice that it is a culture for someone to take a clean bath before needed to be ‘sodomize’..all praise Anwar a 63 year old man that is still strong and still able to fxxk a young man…kekeeekkkee….
i like how the australian dares to speak up to our UMNO people and how the UMNO response to them showing their ‘ stupidity’ to the world. if any UMNO member is reading this, please la don’t us ‘We Malaysian’ i’m not involved okay..its you UMNO people…
all the best!
Regards,
Chinese Boy
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Like what Mother Theresa said, the final analysis is between you/them and God. God will be the judge of everything.
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