Asia Tenggara archive at Anwar Ibrahim

Archive for the 'Asia Tenggara' Category

Jan

A Short Walk to Freedom

By Anwar Ibrahim 5 Comments

Categories: Agenda Baru, Analisis, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Dunia Arab, Ekonomi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik, Program and Umno

From The Hindu.com
By Meena Menon
Former Malaysian deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who was acquitted of sodomy on January 9 jokes that he may be 64 but looks 46. He says his wife Azizah often retorts “you may look 46 but your back is 84.” After meeting him, you realise that it was his strong sense of humour and conviction that he was never in the wrong that helped him survive six years in solitary confinement. It was during that period that he suffered so much police assault that he was once mistaken for dead. His famous photograph with a black eye became the symbol of his predicament worldwide and the beating has left him with a permanent back injury that requires wearing a fortified brace all the time. While he needs surgery, he plans to postpone it since it would affect his travel and preparation for the next general elections in Malaysia. He heads the Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat or People’s Justice Party and is confident of winning on a progressive multiethnic platform with emphasis on an independent judiciary and a free media.

The Arab Spring could find an echo in Malaysia which has 55 per cent ethnic Malay Muslims and a large Buddhist, Hindu and Christian population. He was first accused in 1998 of corruption and sodomy and again in 2008 of sodomy which is punishable with 20 years in Malaysia. Despite his serious injury and harsh treatment, he is forgiving. He doesn’t expect an apology from the powers that be and has no plans to sue the government. “Can you sue Hitler?” he asks, adding that he will form the next government. A close aide of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed, he took on corruption within the first family leading to his arrest and conviction the first time. He has been described as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and received widespread support from the world over after he was jailed.

In India at the invitation of Rajmohan Gandhi as part of a pro democratic think thank initiative, Mr Ibrahim is grateful for support from this country and others and this is perhaps what led to his acquittal. He orders “garam paani” (hot water) in Hindi and confesses to being an avid fan of older Bollywood films like Sangam, but is not in touch with current releases. Most Malaysian papers said the acquittal was on technical grounds which is far from the truth, he says.

Excerpts from an interview with Meena Menon.

The verdict of acquittal surprised you..?

Because I gave evidence based on the facts and law to suggest that the decisions in the trial were blatantly biased against me. Key witnesses we wanted to call were disallowed, which is unacceptable. This is a criminal charge based on a complainant, who went to the doctors. So we wanted those notes of examination but this was not given to us. We adduced enough evidence to suggest there was fabrication. It was only after we brought in international experts that we could prove this. No local expert would dare come out and testify under such a regime.

I don’t know if the verdict was due to public pressure or fears that the international community would focus on Malaysia –I don’t know whether the judge decided this based on his conscience. It was not a convenient, normal sort of a verdict. Certainly it came as a surprise, I don’t know why the judge did this.

What would be the political impact of this decision. Polls are expected soon in Malaysia and can this verdict work to your advantage?

Elections will be called very soon, anytime from March to June, I don’t think they will delay for far too long, since the new Prime Minister has not got the mandate. Secondly, the economic projections for this year are not great, but notwithstanding all this I am optimistic that we can wrest control from the government, predicated upon free elections, which we don’t have.

What about your years in prison? How did you survive?

There is no issue of money, land or remunerations. I was also finance minister then and there was no basis for charging me over any irregularity. So they charged me with speaking to the police over some scurrilous attacks on my character. The police came over and I said investigate it. What’s wrong with that? The ministry for home affairs at that time was under Mahathir, he should be questioned not me. I have no authority to go and direct the police, it was under my boss. That’s Malaysia. But still we are better than Zimbabwe(smiles).

I opposed Mahathir who wanted 2 billion ringgit to bail out his son then. Later his family could pay 2.9 b ringgit to buy San Miguel company. How did you raise the money in cash?

But the important thing is to move on – move forward.

How did you keep your morale up in jail?

I spent six years in solitary confinement before I was released in 2004. Earlier for two years I was a political detainee. Eight years — that’s a short walk to freedom compared to Nelson Mandela’s 26 years! The harassment was small compared to Gandhiji’s , I was badly assaulted, and that is a reprieve compared to those who were shot dead okay? So you always look at things positively.

The first six months Mahathir denied me any reading material. But after that they slowly allowed under pressure from international media and I spent a long time reading the Islamic epics, Hindu epics, Chinese epics, western books. Other than Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita and Gandhi, I read Shri Aurobindo whom I think should be popularized more. I read Shakespeare of course, the entire works four and half times, with copious notes.

Why did government choose sodomy to harass you?

You should ask Mahathir why he chose that. They chose it because they can’t pick one case of corruption- I was minister of finance for eight years, and they said I am traitor to the country and am a Jewish/ Chinese/ Hindu agent but finally sodomy was chosen – because this would enrage the rural conservative Muslim constituency. Secondly it is easier, there is no proof required to convict me, it is a matter of accepting the complainant’s view.

That’s what happened in the first case in (1998), but in the second case, they made a stupid blunder they brought in forensics, DNA and then we brought international experts to demolish those.

At one point you wanted a trial under Islamic Law?

I did that because they use Islam and they say you should swear by the Koran which to me is an insult. I am a practising Muslim and it is an insult to Koran to consider crimes to be resolved only by swearing on the holy book. You rape a girl and you swear by the Koran and you are free? What does this mean? Is this what Islam teaches us? I consulted all religious authorities and they said no, they said the only option is to refer the matter to the religious court. That’s why I decided to go there but they wouldn’t dare bring it up.

The government says the acquittal shows judicial independence?

The huge crowds outside the court is unprecedented, we had Malays, Chinese, Indians. When the verdict was announced people were embracing each other and crying, it was a beautiful scene of multi racial unity. I watched on TV and even police officers were laughing and shaking hands. The government says this is evidence of judicial independence. They exploited the verdict. But that is not at all the reality. One swallow does not a summer make. There was a public outrage, international pressure. Even the Washington Post wrote against my case.

What about the ruling United Malays National Organisation(UMNO) in Malaysia and your challenge to them? Your party already posed a challenge in 2008 winning some major districts. How do you see your future?

Yeah I must be crazy to challenge them (laughs)! In 2008 we won a lot of seats. In the last three years we worked very hard in the districts we have control and secondly made forays into other parts of the rural heartland and people do accept us. UMNO is seen to be by the more educated crowd as a party continuing with its obsolete ways and partly as authoritarian, The zeitgeist has changed, especially among the young. India is a democracy, Indonesia has transformed itself. The Arab Spring has its ramifications elsewhere. My old colleagues they failed to understand me, are they completely oblivious to the changes taking place? You see the same pattern- When Ali (Ben Ali in Tunisia) fell Mubarak said this is Egypt, we are not Tunisia. When Mubarak fell, Gaddafi said its Egypt it’s unique, different, then Syria which has a great culture and civilization was in turmoil and the Prime Minister in Malaysia said “this is Malaysia we are not Arabs.”

How has your earlier conviction and present acquittal changed things? Especially in the eyes of the people in the rural areas, will it have an impact?

Now the acquittal has reinforced our position, Even my last conviction did not affect me much. The acquittal has made it easier for us. While the government has been using my acquittal as an example of an independent judiciary. I say look you have been abusing me everyday for the last 14 years, and now I say you should be in the Opposition.

Is the sodomy charge used to harass people commonly in Malaysia? As a political weapon?

No, I am an exception. It’s a phobia created against me, a sort of xenophobia. You look at the media on prime time TV– I am a threat to security, I am anti Malay, they say I went to India and attacked Malaysia. Once I asked the minister of information “can you give me one week’s leave?” He didn’t understand , he asked me where do you want to go? He kept on asking – I finally said Shut up on Anwar in your TV network. The media is UMNO controlled, there is no freedom. The Hindu has been kind to me. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch played a major role in raising the issue.

UMNO has been speaking of reforms?

Even Mubarak used to talk of reforms to his son Jamal, Qaddafi used to talk of reform to his son Saif ul Islam. The most corrupt will be supporting legislation against corruption. We must measure change from actual reform and actual implementation of the reform, not pronouncements. If I am a rich man, I can pay 22 million US dollars to appoint an international PR consultant appointed by Sani Abacha and others- so naturally they must give him(the Malaysian Prime Minister) good advice- but should you be presumptuous and accept their version? No. You should assess by the performance what have they done- is corruption rooted out, is there a free media, is there an independent judiciary?

What is your focus in your election campaign?

We’ve spelt out efforts to promote growth- strengthen the market economy, a strong dose of affirmative action based on need, not based on race, judicial independence, free media, and no discriminatory practices against ethnic minorities. Islam is the religion of the Federation of Malaysia , yes, but you should not use that either that to compel non Muslims or to denigrate the position of non Muslims.

How does the regime treat any opposition?

Some time ago 300 students opposing the oppressive University College Act which bars students from taking part or giving any comments in political issues were beaten up by the police and we had the rally for fair and free elections which was roughly treated by the police. There are many cases of torture, apart from mine. People are killed or die in police custody or in the custody of the anti corruption commission- of course it is said that they are not killed, did not commit suicide but these are mysterious deaths. In my speeches sometimes I joke these people are not killed –they are looking at the door or the window- and they just walked out, and they fell, only the room happened to be 14 stories above ground. So stupid to expect people to believe these stories.

There is a public outcry on all this. A young Chinese party supporter fell from the 14th floor while in custody and another Hindu boy died in police custody. A Malay Muslim died after falling from the fourth floor while under anti corruption commission custody. When I was called by the police for questioning in this case, I said can we do it on the ground floor. Do you have windows or doors?(laughs)

You say the impact of Arab Spring will be reflected in Malaysia?

The night before this verdict 50,000 people came to hear what I thought was my last speech. On the court verdict day, it was a working day – people took leave and came to cheer me. I was arrested two and a half years ago, and put in a lock up on a cement floor for one night and then released, for no reason- other than abuse –they could have asked me to go to the police station for questioning. But the good thing is I have the humility now – that means your passion for justice becomes strong- if I can be treated that way- I am a known person , the world talks about me. What about the poor guys?

Are you going to sue or take action?

Do dictators ever apologise? The fight against corruption and scurrilous charges is like the battle by Krishna against an evil snake(as in Hindu mythology).

I want to move on and forgive them but this government shouldn’t be allowed to go on with impunity. How can I sue this government, I am planning to take over this government.(laughs) This is Malaysia. You don’t sue Hitler do you?

When I tweeted, I forgive, people said please don’t repeat that statement- people are angry.

Your wife has been supportive all along…

She became politically active only after I was detained but my daughter is in politics. The government prompted people to ask my wife –”why are you still with your husband? why don’t you demand a divorce?” Can it happen anywhere else in the world? That is the state of gutter politics in Malaysia – insulting human dignity and they call it moderate Islam.

I was badly assaulted and in pain but otherwise its okay. I survived reading , meditating, being patient, and the conviction that ultimately you will be victorious. The role my family, my wife Azizah and the children too played was remarkable. People prayed for me- it was amazing the support I had.

Is the current regime jittery after your acquittal? What are your next plans? And any learnings from India?

I will meet people and our party convention of the Opposition will soon announce its manifesto. India is a rare case with its penchant for democracy and unswerving commitment under all times – even in Emergency the judiciary had the courage to decide in favour of the Constitution.

I would like to replicate many things from India –protection of minorities, respect for human rights—am talking of replicating ideals, am not talking of the corruption(laughs). But India has a huge intellectual legacy, whatever you say the judiciary is still strong, the media is free, you have the right to protest, and growth is impressive but an issue I see is that the needs of poor and marginalised must be addressed..

Dec

Ada Apa Dengan Bendera?

By Anwar Ibrahim 11 Comments

Categories: AIC, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Catatan, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahasiswa, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Pendidikan, Penerbitan, Politik and Umno

Merdeka Review

Alicia Izharuddin

Sejak usia remaja, saya pernah dinasihatkan oleh orang tua supaya jangan masuk campur dengan arena politik apabila dewasa kelak. Mengikut mereka, politik hanyalah “permainan kotor” yang menguntungkan politikus sahaja, lantas kepentingan rakyat sejagat jarang dipertimbangkan secara ikhlas. Setiap satu yang diberikan kepada rakyat diragut satu yang lain, contohnya masing-masing peluang melanjutkan pelajaran di institut pengajian tinggi awam dan kebebasan akademik.

Baru-baru ini kita dihidangi berita yang kian menjejaskan integriti kerajaan yang kononnya mahu mendaulatkan konsep demokrasi dan mempunyai keinginan untuk berjinak-jinak dengan prinsip kebebasan bersuara. Tindakan aktivis-aktivis mahasiswa dari Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) menurunkan bendera yang melayangkan wajah Najib Razak selama lima minit sebagai simbol tidak-puas hati mereka terhadap keengganan kerajaan memansuhkan Akta Universiti Kolej dan Universiti (AUKU) yang menyekat kebebasan akademik dan berpolitik. Walaupun didepani dengan desakan aktivis-aktivis mahasiswa untuk memansuhkan AUKU yang semakin mengombak, kerajaan Najib Razak hanya mampu berdiam dan mendiamkan suara-suara protes.

Demokrasi siapa?

Menurut menteri pengajian tinggi Saifuddin Abdullah yang kononnya menyokong “kebebasan bersuara” dan konsep demokrasi, penurunan bendera UMNO bukan tindakan yang berdemokratik. Ada pula yang berpendapat mahasiswa-mahasiswa terlibat bersikap kurang matang, kurang ajar, dan tidak menghormati harta-benda kerajaan, seolah-olah memecah masuk rumah dan menyusun-semula perabot. Sasaran mahasiswa SMM – bendera yang bermukakan Najib Razak – secara tidak langsung menjadi objek yang suci. Ia bukannya bendera negara atau parti, tidak dibakar atau diinjak-injak. Namun yang demikian, penurunan bendera tersebut dilihat sebagai satu serangan terhadap ego seorang pemimpin yang pantang dicabar.

UMNO dan penganut-penganutnya tidak jauh berbeza daripada kerajaan tidak gentar menggunakan kekerasan – sama ada dalam bentuk fizikal mahupun retorikal – untuk menindas perjuangan hak-hak mahasiswa. Di United Kingdom sepanjang tahun ini, kerajaan David Cameron menggunakan kuasa polis untuk “mengawal” pergerakan mahasiswa yang berdemonstrasi kerana kenaikan yuran tahunan universiti yang melambung tinggi. Yang paling tragis pula, pembunuhan ratusan mahasiswa-mahasiswa yang berarak di Dataran Tiananmen secara aman mengutuk Parti Komunis China pada tahun 1989. Ya, kerajaan Malaysia bukan satu-satunya kerajaan yang takut kepada kemarakan mahasiswa. Sejarah gerakan mahasiswa telah menunjukkan bahawa kuasa dan pengaruh mahasiswa boleh menggulingkan kepimpinan yang represif; regim Suharto berjaya digulingkan atas desakan mahasiswa Indonesia pada tahun 1998. Jika mahasiswa dan cendiakawan seperjuangan mampu mengguling kerajaan Suharto yang berkuasa selama 32 tahun – antara regim diktator yang paling lama di dunia – jelas menunjukkan bahawa mahasiswa Malaysia juga serba upaya.

Kerajaan Najib yang menidakkan hak mahasiswa untuk berpolitik menyelindungkan ketakutan mereka terhadap kuasa mahasiswa. Universiti bukan sekadar kilang mencetak sijil tetapi tempat orang muda menuntut ilmu berfikir secara berdikari. Kebanyakan mahasiswa yang mempunyai kesedaran politik pula bukan kuda mana-mana parti. Kerajaan dan orang awam harus sedar bahawa arena dan istilah politik itu sendiri sangat terhad dan sempit maksudnya. Politik bukan sekadar pertandingan populariti atau acara berlumba-lumba yang menjuarakan politikus yang dilantik – Tidak.

Hakikatnya, kuasa politik juga terletak di tangan pengundi, penyokong, dan pejuang agenda masing-masing yang sedikit sebanyak menentukan jaya dan gagalnya seorang politikus dan jatuhnya pengaruh kerajaan; dari sini kita kembali kepada asal-usul perkataan “demokrasi” dalam bahasa Yunani yang berasaskan “demos” yang bermaksud rakyat dan “kratos” bererti pemerintahan.

Sebagai mahasiswa yang bakal menapak ke alam universiti sebagai pensyarah dan penyelidik, kebebasan akademik bukan sahaja memberikan ruang dan peluang menyampaikan pendapat dan idea-idea yang berbeza dan kritis tentang keadaan politik semasa, tetapi juga menggalakkan mahasiswa untuk lebih bersuara tanpa ugutan dan kecaman. Negara Malaysia sudah terlalu lama dikekangi budaya paternalistik, iaitu budaya (dan juga polisi) yang menyekat kebebasan atas nama ketentaraman dan kebajikan rakyat. Budaya paternalisme inilah yang sebenarnya takut kepada konsep kebebasan bersuara dan demokrasi kerana ia melemahkan pengaruh seorang atas anggota-anggota rakyatnya. Di alam universiti di mana penghuninya diberikan peluang untuk bersuara dan berfikir secara berdikari, kematangan minda akan dipupuk secara semulajadi.

Saya dapati bahawa reaksi pihak-pihak tertentu yang mengutuk dan mengugut tindakan mahasiswa yang anti-kekerasan berbaur ironi; perasaan marah yang melulu juga timbul daripada budaya kita yang anti-intelektual yang kuat menolak peluang berdialog secara rasional dan aman. Budaya kita juga mengagungkan status yang tinggi, bermaksud status mahasiswa yang biasa dianggap rendah tarafnya sering diperlekehkan dan ditindas.

Oleh yang demikian, gerakan mahasiswa aktivis tidak akan mengakhiri protes mereka dengan penurunan simbolik bendera yang berwajah Najib Razak, tetapi akan terus memuncak sehingga pihak kerajaan menyerahkan diri kepada desakan-desakan mereka.

*Alicia Izharuddin adalah pelajar Doktor Falsafah dalam kajian Islam, gender, dan media

Dec

ETP Will Make Malaysians Poorer in 2020

By Anwar Ibrahim 2 Comments

Categories: Agenda Baru, Aktiviti, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Catatan, Demokrasi, Ekonomi, Isu Semasa, Kewangan, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik, Program and Umno

Malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today warned that Malaysians will become poorer in 2020, with an additional 1.7 million people earning below RM1,500, under the current Economic Transformation Programmes (ETP).

In addition, he claimed the brainchild of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will widen the income gap in society based on the projection of ETP.

During a dinner organised by Selangor state government at an upmarket hotel in the capital, Anwar delivered a speech titled ‘Debunking ETP: Widening Income Gap’ to some 150 guests including foreign ambassadors, economists, academicians, MPs, party leaders and journalists.

He said the two important assumptions made by the ETP to justify that Malaysians will earn a gross national income (GNI) per capita of RM48,000 by 2020 were questionable.

First, the 3.6 percent annual wage growth predicted from 2010 to 2020 is over optimistic, because the average growth was only 2.6 percent annually in the past 10 years according to the Human Resources Ministry, and the real wage growth from 1984 to 1997 in the manufacturing and plantation sectors was only 2.3 and 2.8 percent respectively, according to the Asian Development Bank.

“This is further verified by the National Employment Return Study of 2009, involving a sample of 24,000 employers and 1.3 million workers which found that 33.8 percent of the workers were paid below RM700 per month.

“If this were to be extrapolated nationally, it suggests that up to 34 percent of our workforce earn below the national poverty line,” he explained.

Another fundamental flaw, said the former finance minister, is the 2.8 percent average rate of inflation estimated for the period up to 2020, because the average inflation between 2001 and 2005 was 4.8 percent, and 6.6 percent between 2005 and 2009, as a result of the 2008 crude oil price rally worldwide.

“The inflation assumption is crucial to arrive at the magical target of RM48,000 GNI per capita by 2020 that has become the pillar of ETP.

“If inflation, as we have seen in the last few years, grows higher than 2.8 percent in the next few years, real wages will be lower and the GNI per capita target of RM48,000 is nothing more than a number on a fancy ETP brochure,” he elaborated, adding that the environment of high energy and high commodity prices will persist.

He then pointed out that if the inflation rate was 4 percent and wages were to grow at the unrealistic 3.6 percent rate annually for the next 10 years, there will be an additional one million Malaysians earning below the equivalent of today’s RM1,500 per month in 2020.

Should the inflation rate stay at an average of 6 percent, there would be an additional 1.7 million Malaysians earning the same amount in 2020, he warned.

Bleak picture

“The additional 1.7 million urban poor will complete the bleak picture that ETP tries hard to gloss – that is by 2020, there will be between 7 million to 8.3 million urban poor with monthly earnings of RM1,500 and below; according to ETP’s own projections,” he said.

Contrary to what was promised by the ETP, Anwar claimed that the rich will be richer in 2020 should the ETP model of economic development continues.

“Based on the information provided in the official ETP documents, one can construct a business model to ascertain the proportion of economic value going to the employees versus the profits retained by corporations.”

The analysis done by PKR based on the ETP information, he said, showed that ETP and Entry Point Projects (EPPs) will cause real wages to stagnate with only marginal increase over the years, while most of the economic benefits will be retained by corporations.

“In 2009, the GNI of RM661 billion, the ratio of employee compensation to GNI is 40 percent. This simply means that 40 percent of the economic value generated by our economy goes to workers in the form of wages. By 2020, this ratio will drop to 33 percent.

Anwar described the ETP as “nothing more than a continuation of a flawed economic model mired with corruption and a rent-seeking culture that rewards the ruling echelons at the expense of the majority”.

“Its promise to deliver a high income nation status by 2020 is also a fallacy,” he added.

The PKR de facto leader noted that the most important facet of the ETP are the 131 entry point projects (EPPs).

But most of them are nothing more that large-scale infrastructure projects that will consume a large amount of public funds either directly from the public coffers or through funding arrangements with government-linked companies (GLCs) or government-linked investment companies (GLICs).

“If the previous mega projects’ track records are anything to go by, these EPPs also come with huge financial risks to the public due to this government’s poor corporate governance,” he said, citing the example of the newly constructed palace where the project cost ballooned from the initial RM400 million to more than RM1 billion.

“There is also a risk that the diversion of public and GLC/GLIC funds into these EPPs may effectively reduce the nation’s flexibility to deploy fiscal means to manage the economy in the future as Malaysia continues to battle its deficit problems,” added Anwar.

Nov

Anwar On The Temptation Of Power

By Anwar Ibrahim 1 Comment

Categories: Agenda Baru, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Islam, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik and Program

Malaysiakini

Anwar Ibrahim’s ease at finding parallels between seemingly contending beliefs and his comfort in paradox was in evidence at a forum in Kolkata over the weekend.

Invited to an Indian Muslim NGO’s silver jubilee conference themed ‘Good Governance in a Globalising World’, Anwar held forth on ‘Governance and Ethics’ in one segment of the three-day affair organised by the Institute of Objective Studies, a highly regarded research organisation with links to the International Institute of Islamic Thought and the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

The thrust of Anwar’s presentation revolved around the temptation of power to think that it is always twinned with virtue.

He cited the admonitory wisdom of Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz, one of Prophet Muhammad’s political successors, who appointed monitors to watch over his conduct.

Anwar quoted Umar’s rationale to his monitors: “Rulers usually appoint people to watch over their subjects. I appoint you to watch over me and my conduct.”

This oft-cited quotation from Umar helps the Malaysian opposition leader to dilate on another favorite oracular pronouncement: “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary” – this one from the Christian theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.

As long ago as his 1996 Budget speech to Parliament as finance minister, Anwar cited this cautionary wisdom as a check on the temptations of power to vanity, complacency and hypocrisy.

Anwar told the audience during his segment of the conference that a critique of hubris was necessary to keep the apparatus of even democratic states from the temptations of extrajudicial procedures that result in injustice and the muzzling of dissent and opposition.

Yet again, he held up as a guide for the restraint of power the maqasid shariah, the 12th century formulation of the Islamic jurist Al Shatibi, which posited the protection of life, property and the preservation of peace as the higher goals of syariah.

Anwar said a holistic conception of the maqasid shariah was the guarantee against the rigid interpretation and application of syariah.

Tagore’s poetry

Anwar said he was conscious that the venue of the conference, Jesuit St Xavier’s College, was where Nobel literary laureate Rabindranath Tagore studied as a boy.

“In this year of the 150th anniversary of his birth, I am reminded of Sir Rabindranath Tagore’s gesture of returning his knighthood in protest against the Amritsar massacre of 1919,” said Anwar who has cited Tagore (right) as one of the progenitors of the ‘Asian Renaissance’ espoused by the Malaysian leader since the mid-1990s.

“Not only must power resist the temptation to think that it is always twinned with virtue, but fame must always be accompanied by solicitude for those who suffer from man’s inhumanity to man,” said Anwar in praise of Tagore who was born in Kolkata in 1841, received the Nobel for literature in 1913, and was knighted in 1915.

Anwar said that in Tagore’s poetry and short stories there was always the emphasis on freedom and reason and because he conveyed these ideas in mystic terms, he encountered much misunderstanding in the West.

In expatiating on the philosophic identity of noble minds, Anwar quoted the following lines from Tagore’s poetry:

“Where the mind is without fear and
the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been
broken up into fragments by
narrow domestic walls.”

He said that the lines conveyed the same sentiment embodied in Philippine national hero Jose Rizal’s declaration in his book El Filibusterismo: “Within a few centuries, when humanity has become redeemed and enlightened, when there are no races, when all peoples are free, when they are neither tyrants nor slaves, colonies nor mother countries, when justice rules and man is a citizen of the world…”

“These two men born in the same year in different countries on the same continent, articulators and strugglers for the liberation of not only their peoples but also of their continents, are the precursors of the Asian Renaissance through their lofty vision of the human pageant and of where it should eventuate.

“Their dream was not only for human emancipation but also for man’s ethical governance without which all struggle is futile and all striving meaningless,” concluded Anwar.

Nov

Statement of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group of German Parliament on the trial of the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim

By Anwar Ibrahim 3 Comments

Categories: Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Hebahan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media and Parlimen

Stellungnahme der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN zum Prozess gegen den malaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim

11. November 2011

Der Vorsitzende der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN, Dr. Thomas Gambke, der im Rahmen des Programms “Parlamentarier schützen Parlamentarier” die Patenschaft für den malaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim übernommen hat, erklärt im Namen des Vorstands der Parlamentariergruppe:

“Wir beobachten aufmerksam und kritisch den Verlauf des Prozesses gegen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim, der nach einem abschließenden Verhandlungstag am 23. November voraussichtlich im Dezember zum Abschluss kommen wird. Bereits während eines Delegationsbesuches in Malaysia Anfang 2011 fanden wir den Verdacht bestätigt, es könne sich um einen Prozess handeln, mit dem ein politisch unliebsamer Gegner ausgeschaltet werden soll.

Die Verteidigung von Anwar Ibrahim wurde in dem sich über mehr als zwei Jahre hinziehenden Verfahren immer wieder in ihrer Arbeit behindert. Die Tatsache, dass nun Ende dieses Jahres mit einer Verurteilung von Anwar Ibrahim wegen des Vorwurfs des homosexuellen Verkehrs zu rechnen ist, scheint uns nicht zufällig in zeitlicher Nähe zu Parlamentswahlen im Frühjahr 2012 zu stehen. Mit einer Verurteilung würde der Oppositionsführer sein Abgeordnetenmandat verlieren und wäre die gesamte Oppositionsbewegung geschwächt.

Wir appellieren an die malaysische Regierung, die Bewegung für eine demokratische Reform des Wahlsystems, deren führender Repräsentant Anwar Ibrahim ist, zu respektieren, und deren Ziele ernst zu nehmen. Maßnahmen zur Verhinderung von Wahlbetrug und mehr Möglichkeiten für Oppositionsparteien, die heute in bereits fünf der insgesamt dreizehn Regionen Malaysias regieren, in öffentlichen Medien für ihre Ziele zu werben, sollten geschaffen werden. Eine politisch motivierte Verurteilung von Anwar Ibrahim würde dem internationalen Ansehen Malaysias schaden.”

Dem Vorstand der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN (Brunei, Indonesien, Kambodscha, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippinen, Singapur, Thailand, Vietnam) gehören als Vorsitzender Dr. Thomas Gambke (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN) sowie als stellvertretende Vorsitzende Dr. Michael Fuchs (CDU/CSU), Holger Ortel (SPD), Dr. h.c. Jürgen Koppelin (FDP) und Caren Lay (DIE LINKE.) an.

—————————

November 11, 2011

Statement of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group on the trial of the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim

Chair of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group Dr. Thomas Gambke, within the framework of the “MPs protect MPs” program in sponsorship of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, says on behalf of the Board:

“We are carefully observing the trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim which is set to resume on November 23 and due for completion in December. During a visit to Malaysia at the start of 2011, our suspicions were confirmed that the trial may well be a process of eliminating political opponents.

The team of lawyers defending Anwar Ibrahim were gravely disadvantaged during the entire two years of the drawn-out trial. We believe that the timing of the impending conviction of Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges has been planned to coincide with the Parliamentary elections due in spring 2012. If convicted, the opposition leader would lose his parliamentary seat thus weakening the entire opposition movement.

We appeal to the Malaysian government to respect and regard seriously the goals of the movement for democratic reform of the electoral system, whose leading figure is Anwar Ibrahim. Measures to prevent electoral fraud should be introduced together with greater access to the public media for the opposition parties which to date are in control of five of the thirteen States of Malaysia. A politically motivated trial of Anwar Ibrahim would only damage the international image of Malaysia.”

The Board of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group (Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) includes its chairman, Dr. Thomas Gambke (Alliance 90/The Greens), and deputy chairman Dr Michael Fuchs (CDU / CSU), Holger Ortel (SPD), Dr. hc Jürgen Koppelin (FDP) and Caren Lay (THE LEFT.)

Nov

BBC World News Faces Sponsorship Clampdown After Malaysia Row

By Anwar Ibrahim 0 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Hebahan, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Kewangan, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik, Program and Umno

Guardian.co.uk

The BBC World News channel has been banned from buying certain programmes and accepting some sponsorship deals, after an investigation found serious breaches of the corporation’s editorial guidelines in shows about subjects including Malaysia and carbon trading.

A full investigation was launched by the BBC Trust into programming on BBC World News, a commercial channel distributed internationally, after it found conflict of interest and sponsorship issues with a show called Taking the Credit, about carbon trading, originally broadcast in 2009.

The investigation by the trust’s editorial standards committee (ESC) found a further 15 programmes broadcast on the channel in serious breach of the BBC’s editorial or sponsorship guidelines.

These programmes included eight containing sections about Malaysia made by a company called FBC Media, which had an “apparent financial relationship” with the Malaysian government.

FBC Media’s parent company, FBC Group, confirmed to the BBC investigation that the Malaysian government was a client.

“Based on evidence before the committee of the apparent financial relationship between FBC Media (UK) Ltd and the Malaysian government, the committee concluded that FBC Media (UK) Ltd was not an appropriate producer for these particular programmes, being about Malaysia, its industries and Malaysian government policies,” the ESC concluded.

“The committee considered that it could not be adequately confident that a relationship between FBC Media (UK) Ltd and the Malaysian government and/or other Malaysian interests had not affected the content of BBC output.

“In light of the overall content covering Malaysia, the committee was concerned that the BBC has broadcast programmes which may have promoted particular subject matters (or presented them in a certain way) as a result of a production company’s financial interests.”

All 15 programmes were found to have been in breach of one, or more, of the BBC’s rules governing conflicts of interest, promotion of a sponsor’s activities and sponsorship of current affairs shows.

The shows had been bought by the BBC for a “low or nominal cost” from independent producers.

“International audiences must be able to rely on the same integrity and independence in the BBC’s editorial decisions as audiences in the UK,” said ESC chair Richard Ayre. “We have found that several programmes shown on the BBC’s World News channel had been inappropriately sponsored. The trust is deeply concerned at this and we very much regret that these programmes failed to live up to the editorial standards we set for the BBC.”

As a result of the investigation the BBC World News channel has been banned from buying programmes for a low or nominal cost and it will “no longer accept sponsorship from non-commercial organisations”.

In May, the BBC Trust found Taking the Credit in breach of editorial guidelines around sponsorship of a current affairs show and conflict of interest.

Taking the Credit was funded by a company called the Africa Carbon Livelihood Trust, which had links to a firm called Envirotrade, which featured in the documentary.

According to the BBC Trust, the ESC “concluded that the funding in full or in part of this programme by Envirotrade – via the Africa Carbon Livelihoods Trust – amounted to sponsorship”.

“However, the committee considered that the programme was current affairs and that such sponsorship was in breach of the guidelines, which prohibit any sponsorship of news and current affairs,” the trust said.

According to the BBC Trust there was a conflict of interest because “there was an inextricable link between the funder organisation and a project featured in the programme”.

“Further, the programme portrayed the work of Envirotrade in a positive way and as a result breached the requirement that sponsors’ activities should not be promoted. The programme also failed to credit the sponsor in the programme, so the viewers were unaware that there was a funding arrangement in place.”

A BBC World News spokesperson said: “We accept the BBC Trust’s findings. We are committed to the highest standards of broadcasting and our editorial independence must always remain protected.

“There were breaches of BBC guidelines though we note that the trust report found no breaches of impartiality in any of the programmes. We are determined to learn any lessons from this process. That is why we have set out a robust action plan which has been endorsed by the ESC.

“We are now committed to bringing in a series of changes to tighten our systems and strengthen the protection of our editorial independence.”

Nov

University College London UCL : Anwar Came, Saw, Conquered

By Anwar Ibrahim 4 Comments

Categories: Agenda Baru, Aktiviti, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Catatan, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahasiswa, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik and Program

Malaysiakini

By Mariam Mokhtar

Looking at Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader, deliver his talk, one would never have guessed that he was hounded by the BN government, on a list of trumped-up charges as long as his arm.

He was witty and informative when engaging with the audience; brutal and incisive when mocking Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s administration.

NONE Anwar (right) recently gave a speech at University College London (UCL), entitled ‘The Struggle for Justice and Democracy in Malaysia’.

He won over the crowd, who were mainly Malaysians studying or working in England. Anwar has universal acclaim and the ‘mat salleh’ who were present can’t have attended just because they were curious to see the man whom BN has portrayed as a raving sex maniac, who can’t have enough of women, or men.

For a man whose private life has been paraded around the world with the farcical Sodomy I and II trials, and Sex Videos I and II, Anwar did not look like a condemned person.

With steely determination, he told the crowd that he has vowed to clear his name, restore his family’s reputation and defend his honour.

BN painted Anwar as a sexual deviant and lined people up to reveal sordid allegations about him. If true, then Anwar should have felt at home in Soho, the racy red light area with its gay bars, porn-shops and fallen women, close to UCL.

But a sexual lunatic he is not.

No compromise

Anwar who is famed for his skill as an orator, talked passionately about Pakatan’s policies, its budget and his vision of a Malaysia that will be shaped by its youth.

He was adamant that the new Malaysia should be governed with transparency, accountability, and where the corrupt would be punished. He offered no compromise on his party’s multiracial policy.

He told the students that they were responsible for determining Malaysia’s future. He said: “Everyone is born to be free. Freedom cannot be negotiated.”

He cajoled and persuaded them: “You must make a stand and exercise your rights….”

He challenged them: “You must learn to ask questions….”, and warned them that Najib’s administration feared the truth.

He criticised Najib’s performance at ‘prime minister’s question time’ in Parliament: “I asked him repeatedly, when the ISA will be abolished. I wanted an undertaking that GE-13 would not be conducted before reforms were implemented…. Najib simply smiled. He was unresponsive….. It was like having a dialogue with the deaf….. Why bother calling it ‘question time’?”

He questioned the conduct of parliamentarians when he quizzed BN about the fund meant to help poor farmers, which was pocketed by BN cronies: “There was a collective silence.”

mahathir responses to suaram report 02 He castigated former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad (right), whom he has forgiven for sending him to jail: “He (Mahathir) levelled charges of sodomy against me because this is taboo with the rural Malays.”

He mocked the religious hypocrisy of the BN elite: “Mahathir’s son bought RM2.9 billion of San Miguel shares but one Malay girl had her life torn apart and was herself almost whipped for a glass of beer.”

With humility he told the audience: “You may listen to me and choose to agree or disagree with me. Or you can support Umno. It is your right. There is no denying it.”

And he injected a bit of comedy in his talk: “For 13 years, BN and the Malaysian media have hounded me, except for three days last Hari Raya…….I had a three day break when they focused on Mat Sabu of PAS.”

The Malaysians had travelled from the East Midlands, Shropshire and the North-East, and the majority were students, from colleges and universities in and around London. Expat Malaysians, concerned about the unpredictable political landscape, came to hear the latest developments.

The talk was at times depressing, particularly the part about BN being prepared to cheat, to ‘win’ GE-13. There remained one glimmer of hope; the large presence of Malay students in the audience.

For years, the Malaysian government actively discriminated against Malay students. A culture of fear was promoted by the Malaysian high commissions and embassies around the world.

Consequently, Malay students distanced themselves from such talks.

Malays are deliberately singled out by BN to keep them ignorant. To keep them from learning. And to keep them from being exposed to other cultures, races and thinking patterns.

Dangerous Malay

A knowledgeable Malay is dangerous. BN knows that a questioning Malay would ultimately lead to BN’s demise. One individual can be silenced. But many?

BN treats the Malay like a semi-literate and a slave. Its brainwashing technique has been perfected so that the Malay mind is trapped by his imaginary tempurung, wherever he is in the world.

If we want a better Malaysia, the Malays must be brought into the loop. If we want to progress as a nation the Malays must contribute and share the limelight.

Umno’s propaganda is based on fear and warns of a threat to Malay survival. BN claims Anwar will sell Malaysia to the non-Malays and that Pakatan is controlled by the Chinese.

What BN really meant was that their own survival was in danger.

The Malay elite is at liberty to be open-minded but he subjugates his poorer Malay cousin. The elite cream off the best in life, but leave others destitute.

In effect, Malaysia has been ‘stolen’ by its corrupt Malay leaders.

Warning letters

Informed sources allege that the modus operandi of the consulate officials is to warn Malaysian students to stay away from these ‘opposition’ lectures.

Sometimes, the Malaysian embassy sends out ‘warning’ letters. But as Anwar related, deans of Indonesian and American universities have cautioned the embassies, and threatened reprisals if this practice were to continue.

Some allege that agents of the government masquerade as students, to spy, as they move in student circles.

Most government scholarship holders are Malay, and many come from poor backgrounds. Only the brazen few or privately financed students will attend ‘opposition’ lectures.

The majority stay away for fear of losing their funding. They fear the shame of terminating their studies. They fear the wrath of their families. They fear rejection by the community. But most of all, they fear missing the best chance to lift themselves and their families from poverty for a better future.

Isn’t it ironical that students stay away because they fear BN’s long reach? This emphasises the significance of Anwar’s speech ‘The Struggle for Justice and Democracy in Malaysia’.

Anwar’s proclamation which rang in everyone’s ears was: “With your help, and given fair and clean elections, Pakatan will form the next government.”

Anwar’s talk was oversubscribed and the huge presence of students, including many Malays, is heartening.

Perhaps the culture of fear which the Malaysian government tried to export to student populations overseas is vaporising.

Perhaps Najib is not only losing his grip on the economy, but also on the students.

BN’s propaganda and emphasis on the sodomy trials, meant that many students were unaware that Anwar was once DPM or finance minister.

Anwar’s talk was an eye-opener and many students responded positively.

This generation of Malay youth wants a well-rounded education and refuses to be cowed by Putrajaya. Overseas, non-Malay students have never felt the crippling grip of the BN government.

Acquiring knowledge at universities around the world is one thing.

But learning to live with freedom of expression, where basic human rights are not denied and where university professors are not suspended or sent live bullets in their mail, is a shallow learning curve for Malaysian students.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

Oct

Malaysia’s Old Economic Model

By Anwar Ibrahim 0 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Ekonomi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Kewangan, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan and Umno

From Wall Street Journal

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has unveiled a budget full of freebies designed to win over voters in the next general election, expected in the next six months. In the process, he is dashing expectations of economic reforms needed to promote growth.

This contrasts with the political reforms Mr. Najib announced last month. A promised overhaul of the country’s colonial-era legal code would guarantee political and civil freedoms long denied to Malaysians.

Mr. Najib seems to have thought of a handout for nearly everyone in 2012. The country’s 1.3 million civil servants will see salaries and pensions rise, in many cases by as much as 30%; households earning less than 3,000 ringgit ($960) a month will receive one-off payments of 500 ringgit; parents will find many school fees abolished or reduced. Then there are the taxi drivers who get fat tax exemptions.

Worse, the government has not taken the necessary steps to wean Malaysia off food and fuel subsidies. Mr. Najib earlier pledged to phase them out, since they have skewed consumption patterns and strained public finances for many years. He even likened subsidies to “opium” and made small but noteworthy cuts last year. He could have continued that rehab this year by incrementally raising regulated prices to bring them closer to market levels.

This combination of temporary handouts and tax breaks on one hand and welfare spending on the other doesn’t help Malaysia’s competitiveness. The export-dependent economy is already hurting from weak markets abroad and a rising cost of living at home—GDP growth fell below 5% in year-on-year terms for the last two quarters—and needs long-term incentives to invest and build a stronger domestic consumer market.

Yet Mr. Najib offered no permanent changes to the tax structure and no guide to reducing regulation and spending. The 2012 budget proposes a 9.4% hike in expenditure from the 2011 budget. And considering the government spent 13 billion ringgit ($4.16 billion) more than it budgeted in the past year, it could well prove more profligate.

To its credit, one small of area of reform the government has kept pushing is liberalization of foreign investment in services. In 2009, Mr. Najib dismantled a long-time restriction that benefited “sons of the soil.” Foreigners were earlier forced to jointly venture with Malays, the country’s ethnic majority, but they can now own 100% stakes in businesses in 27 sub-sectors. Friday’s budget extends that reform to 17 more sub-sectors such as medical and education services.

However, these are small industries that don’t hire many Malays. The government needs to tackle bigger reforms in industries like manufacturing, where regulations still give Malays dominance. In the same vein, the labor market suffers from entrenched affirmative-action policies. Mr. Najib has spoken of enacting radical changes when he presented a “New Economic Model” last year, but he keeps disappointing voters by failing to follow through.

Sep

Israel’s Missed Opportunities

By Anwar Ibrahim 2 Comments

Categories: Agenda Baru, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat and Politik

From Aljazeera

In the prologue to The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, the author Josephus tells us that works written earlier by others “were marred by inaccuracies and prejudice” and that he “hopes to comfort the conquered and to deter others from attempting innovations”.

Josephus’ classic account is indeed a gripping story evoking powerful emotions and leaves us in no doubt as to where our sympathy lies: As the mighty Romans lord over the powerless Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem perpetuating cruelty and injustice, the story is as old as mankind. The oppression of human beings by fellow human beings is not a tale told by an idiot but by the chronicle of time. And as this history repeats itself, the once oppressed can easily become the oppressor. Where once it was the all-powerful Romans against the downtrodden Jews, today it is the high and mighty regime of Israel against the helpless Palestinians.

Adding to this state of oppression is the deadly flotilla attack by Israeli commandos under the Netanyahu government, in which nine people were killed – with at least seven having been handcuffed and shot in the back of the head. Yet the latest United Nations report on the attack has completely gone off the mark by concluding that Israel’s blockade of Gaza was a legitimate act of self-defence.

According to the Palmer Commission’s report, the legitimacy purportedly arises from Israel having to take necessary steps to protect its people from violent acts by Palestinian militants in Gaza, such as the firing of illegal rockets into Israel.

While no one condones violent acts that threaten the security of the people of Israel, the purported rationale for self-defence in this case flies against the facts, the most telling of which is that a unilateral ceasefire by Hamas had already been in place since early 2009. Bereft of this pretext, the entire edifice for the perpetuation of deadly force by Israel crumbles.

But that is cold comfort for the 1.5 million Palestinians being incarcerated in Gaza, who are now at the mercy of Israel’s land and naval blockade, which continues to deny them their right to move freely within and between all countries. Sanctioning such a military siege against a helpless civilian population is to turn the global rule of law on its head. And this is a community that has already been so dispossessed. As Edward Said once said, few national groups have been stripped of their humanity in the eyes of the world more blatantly than ordinary Palestinian men and women.

The attack on the humanitarian flotilla can neither be sanctioned nor rationalised. Apart from violating international maritime law, it was an act of ruthless aggression against an innocent party. No sovereign government can allow such a transgression to take place with impunity.

When two Israeli soldiers were captured by Hezbollah, Israel invaded Lebanon. Nine Turkish citizens have been brutally killed in international waters, and no one should expect Turkey to sleep over the death of its citizens. One of those killed was also an American citizen, the 19-year-old Furkan Dogan, about whom the Obama administration has kept silent. Turkey is therefore right in unequivocally rejecting the UN report and all attempts to justify the military siege of Gaza as legal.

Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel will not apologise to Turkey demonstrates his dereliction of responsibilities and a particular callousness towards a nation that used to be a military ally. He is completely misreading the dynamic of the new Middle East, in which justice, not oppression and authoritarianism, will shape history.

More significantly, it has missed a golden opportunity to further the prospects of peace through an enhanced collaboration with democratic Turkey under Prime Minister Erdogan. There is no better time than now, particularly in the wake of the Arab Spring, for all parties to move towards a more enduring peace in the Middle East driven by universal ideals for freedom, democracy and justice.

Anwar Ibrahim is currently opposition leader of Malaysia and was formerly the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

Sep

‘Jailing Anwar Top Priority’

By Anwar Ibrahim 2 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik, Program and Umno

From Asia One.com

THERE is a high chance that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim may be convicted of sodomy – his second in 10 years.

That was what Mr Mark Clark, then political counsellor at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said in a 2009 confidential note to US authorities.

The note was part of a batch of confidential documents released by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.

The note said that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Umno elites might decide that the political cost of prosecuting Anwar was “acceptable” and pursue the matter aggressively in and out of court, reported Malaysiakini.

The cable said jailing Mr Anwar and removing him permanently from politics was the top priority.

“While asserting that this is purely a law enforcement matter, the government exerts political pressure as necessary, accepting reputational risks in the process, and achieves a conviction after months of high-profile drama in the courtroom,” said the cable.

It was sent to the US State Department in Washington by Ambassador James Keith.

“The courts will hear and reject Anwar’s appeals in an expedited manner, well ahead of the next national elections in 2012 or 2013,” said the cable.

The leaked cable, titled Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy Trial II – A Primer, gave two other potential scenarios to the outcome of the court case.

Scenarios painted
The second scenario: The Malaysian government would proceed with the prosecution, but would not use pressure to achieve conviction because the trial itself would have done enough damage.

The third “plausible” scenario: The government might withdraw the case against the Permatang Pauh MP because the political cost would be too high or the Anwar threat had diminished, the cable said.

Mr Anwar’s sodomy trial, now in its second year, will resume next month with further testimony from defence witnesses.

He is charged with sodomising his former political aide, Mr Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in a Kuala Lumpur condominium unit on June 26, 2008.

Another leaked US embassy cable talked about Mr Najib’s wife, Ms Rosmah Mansor.

Dated three years ago, it said it was implausible that she was at the scene when Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered.

The Mongolian was the mistress of MrAbdul Razak Baginda, an associate of Mr Najib. Mr Abdul Razak was acquitted of charges of abetting her 2006 murder.

A Malaysian blogger alleged in a sworn statement that Ms Rosmah was at the scene of the killing trying to cover up the murder because it was linked to Mr Najib.

There was no proof to the allegations and the blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin, fled the country after being charged with defamation.

The cable said that though baseless, the allegations “nevertheless will have resonance with a Malaysian public that does not have confidence in the integrity of the Altantuya murder investigation”.

The leaked cable noted that political observers had remarked that Raja Petra had “put himself at great risk, and therefore they speculated that he must have some evidence in hand”.

“If this is a bluff, it will cost him and his family, one MP remarked,” added the confidential cable.

Raja Petra later distanced himself from the sworn statement.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

Aug

Government-MILF Talks Resume Today in Malaysia

By Anwar Ibrahim 0 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Malaysia, Sidenotes and Umno

PhilStar.com
By Delon Porcalla

Peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will resume today in Malaysia, more than two weeks after the meeting between President Aquino and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim in Japan.

The MILF is expected to offer its proposal for a sub-state in Mindanao, which some of its leaders say is a “reframed” version of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) that the Supreme Court struck down in 2008.

The government peace panel, led by Marvic Leonen, is also expected to make its counter-offer.

The GPH and the MILF peace panels are scheduled to meet today until Aug. 24 in Kuala Lumpur for their 22nd formal exploratory talks.

“The net effect of these peace talks is that we will be able to submit our proposal, and the issue with regard to the real status of (renegade MILF leader Ameril) Umbra Kato will also be discussed,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Valte said the consequences of a lost command in the MILF, like that of Kato’s Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) will be raised during the talks.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said the issue on Kato would be definitely discussed by both panels.

Deles noted the issue on Kato could jeopardize the peace talks.

Kato, who was a senior commander of the MILF, took about 300 of his men to continue the 33-year Islamist insurgency that has claimed some 150,000 lives.

Kato rejected the talks and accused his former comrades of abandoning the fight for an independent Muslim homeland in Mindanao.

While the government action on Kato would hinge on the MILF’s explanation of how it was planning to deal with his faction, Deles said a military response was possible.

She said the government may invoke an earlier agreement with the MILF calling on both parties to help each other arrest or capture lawless elements operating in areas under its control. Continue reading ‘Government-MILF Talks Resume Today in Malaysia’

Aug

Jose Rizal And Ninoy Aquino And Their Impact On ASEAN Leadership

By Anwar Ibrahim 4 Comments

Categories: Agenda Baru, Aktiviti, Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Asia Tenggara, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahasiswa, Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Pendidikan, Persidangan and Program

Lecture by Anwar Ibrahim at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Manila Aug 5, 2011

If I may begin with Indonesia’s poet laureate, the late Chairil Anwar:

“Sometimes within these dank prison walls
A warm fragrance fills the air
And I forget the drudgery of my being
Floating instead, higher and higher
Above the present, totally unaware…”

They say that art imitates life, and that it true most of the time but sometimes as captured in this short stanza, life seems to imitate art. I say this of course from personal experience, as I myself have many a time come face to face with such a situation – as I’m sure those who have had the privilege of being incarcerated for an extended period would have experienced it too.

So, while in solitary confinement when these reveries were rudely broken by the uncompromising sting of the mosquitoes, I found myself grabbing hold of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, indeed a worthy companion particularly for political prisoners. Or Rizal’s other master piece, El Filibusterismo. Speaking of leadership, who, for example, cannot but be moved by the profound sentiments articulated in just this short passage, one which I’m sure all of us are familiar with, but bears repeating:

“Within a few centuries, when humanity has become redeemed and enlightened, when there are no races, when all peoples are free, when they are neither tyrants nor slaves, colonies nor mother countries, when justice rules and man is a citizen of the world….”

Freedom and justice and an end to tyranny, these are the recurrent themes which no leader worth his salt should ever lose sight of. Above all, the courage of conviction to pursue one’s ideals to the very end. And so it was to such a cause that Jose Rizal was steadfastly committed.

Not unlike Rizal, Ninoy Aquino too had that unflinching courage of conviction. And both paid the ultimate price for it. One by firing squad, the other by firing assassins. Both sacrificed their lives on the altar of the greater good, for the people and above all for humanity. Both their martyrdoms ignited the fire that would galvanize the people to fight against tyranny and oppression for freedom and justice.

This may well be a tall order but the moral to the story of these two heroes whose humanity transcends their race even nationality, is that great leaders should be able, willing, and ready to seek justice for the people at the expense of their own lives.

Many can have intellectual prowess and many too can be great orators; but without the capacity to say “I am prepared to meet my Maker, if that is what it takes to take my people from oppression and suffering” most of us will remain leaders only in name. For where is that courage of conviction that is able to separate ourselves from our egotistical designs? By what measure can we use to tell ourselves that yes, we are true leaders and not leaders merely by default?

Again, justice, freedom and the war against tyranny, these are themes that would resonate with all civilized societies. Now more than ever before, when the winds of change are sweeping across the deserts of the Middle East and stirring up thunderstorms in various parts of Southeast Asia, these themes must remind us that power cannot and must not be used for personal gain. And this lesson is totally in sync with the bigger picture when we talk about the influences of Rizal and Ninoy.

To my mind, our leaders could do well to remember that the idea of the dignity of man which indeed was a major theme in Rizal’s writings is an idea which translated into the language of today, is a theme which has now been enshrined in the concept of fundamental human rights. Ninoy too in his journalistic essays made it clear that tyranny of men over his fellow men was an affront to our dignity. Regardless of race, creed, or culture, or even wealth, this theme is certainly something that all those who cherish freedom and justice can relate to.

Then there is the school of thought particularly current in ASEAN member nations that says that political stability is something that ought to be protected even more than human rights. To this we say that political stability by itself is meaningless if it is not utilized to widen the practice of democracy and to enhance the institutions of civil society. If political stability is touted purely on the platform of economic prosperity, then autocrats and dictators can get away with murder.

This is the tyrant’s refrain, a time-honoured tool to be employed every time the people clamour for greater freedom. But as we are beginning to witness, the extended warranties on these tools have expired and the rising tide for freedom and democracy cannot be stopped.

While in the past, the blame was rightly on the colonizers, having attained independence, we have only ourselves to blame for the tyranny we have imposed on ourselves – the despotism, the autocracy and even the dictatorship that we have witnessed in the past three decades in almost all the ASEAN countries.

The use of the word revolution may cause some leaders sleepless nights no doubt but revolutions may come about without a shot being fired. For example, the People Power Revolution is clear testimony that effective regime change can be carried out through non-violent means. No doubt it is usually preceded by violence committed by the powers that be – leaders clinging on to power and the violence they unleash on the people but why blame it on the people?

Though it is true that not all such regimes resort to violence in dealing with the people’s grievances, strong arm methods continue to be deployed in an attempt to silence dissent. The Asian values mantra of societal stability and paternalism remain the convenient excuse to drive home the argument that authoritarian systems were better suited towards achieving economic objectives.

Western notions of human rights and freedom were a stumbling block in the eradication of poverty and the path to modernization and global competitiveness. This ideology of a strong paternalistic government being the better alternative to liberal democracy however has received a severe blow in the recent elections.

The numbers trumpeting enhanced GDP growth, standards of living and competitiveness have lost their dazzle. Because what use are these numbers if social inequities continue to divide the voices of dissent are not allowed to be heard? Hence, in the last elections in Singapore, the theme of social justice ran deep in the campaigns by the opposition parties.

We have seen how Thailand has had her democracy come under siege many times. Thanks to the ASEAN creed of non-interference in the domestic affairs of its members, the question of legitimacy of the just voted out administration had never been raised. If only that administration had learnt the basic lessons of Rizal and Ninoy, they would have known that pretending that you’re regime is legitimate doesn’t make it so.

Why go so far, some may ask. Yes, it is true that even after People Power, the forces of reaction threatened to turn back the clock. A few years ago, we saw the possibility of democracy being allowed to vanish by a stroke of the pen. Of course, the people did not let it happen because you take your freedom and democracy very seriously. Indeed, the struggles of Rizal and Ninoy, and if I might add, of Cory too, have not been in vain.

And just more than a decade after the EDSA Revolution, the people of Indonesia rose against the tyranny of Suharto’s dictatorship. Blood was spilt and shots were fired but by and large apart from the atrocities committed prior to the revolution, this was again non-violent. In any event, it was not some kind of revolutionary mob – as the powers that be are wont to tell us – that caused the violence. It was once again those hell bent on clinging on to power that had wanted to strike fear in the people in order to stem the tide of Reformasi.

Today, Indonesia’s democracy rests on a sound footing where the checks and balance on governance are getting institutionalized. Rule of law generally prevails while institutions of power are held to account as can be seen in the increasing number of corruption cases. Yet, it suffers from the same ASEAN malaise – the so-called policy of non-intervention based on the principle: “I’ll stay out of your backyard, if you stay out of mine”.

Coming closer home, we find democracy being used as a façade for the aggrandizement of power and wealth. It is a strangle-hold on all the institutions of power – the police, the prosecution, the anti-corruption agency and the judiciary.

Safeguards placed in the constitution are treated as inconsequential as judges interpret the law not according to well established principles but directives issued from up high. So here again, the lessons of Rizal and Ninoy are lost. We know that democracy crumbles when the judiciary caves in under the pressure of the executive and the legislative branches of government. But the writing on the wall is clear – the highest judicial position has been given to someone who used to be a senior member of the ruling party. How then can we expect judges to be independent of political authority when appointments to high judicial office are conducted in such audacious fashion in blatant disregard of basic principles of governance?

Good governance remains illusory where the judiciary is unable to function with impartiality and courage of conviction. When the judiciary continues to display signs of perversity in their judgments in cases between the state and the people, in matters which affect their fundamental liberties, good governance flies out the window.

Addressing the multicultural texture of our societies, issues of freedom of religion and conscience loom large. There is the question of the legitimate expectations of minorities to have their rights and liberties safeguarded against encroachment. The balancing of minority interests with the majority requires ingenuous commitment from both sides as represented by their respective community leaders. The empowerment of one cultural group at the expense of another in any society would only lead to a clash of interests. These are not academic issues that can be solved merely through intellectual cogitation. They are pressing issues that have serious consequences if left unchecked.

Here, another enduring lesson from our heroes is the need to transcend cultural specificity. Just last week, someone holding high office in government, twittered some very offensive words to attack my character, something I must confess it is not so out of the ordinary. But unfortunately in doing so, she also sullied the good name of Rizal calling him names which should not see the light of day. In one fell swoop that personal attack on me has exposed her bigotry and cultural jingoism.

The source of the attack – on me – was apparently my so-called track record of participating in forums such as these and in particular my penchant for paying tribute to Jose Rizal. This is very sad and most unbecoming. It is indeed shocking that in this day and age, there is still this sense of cultural superiority among people which makes them feel that they are more civilized than others.

Now if there is yet another lesson for the powers that be in ASEAN, it is that a vibrant opposition is essential as the bulwark against the tyranny of absolute power. They must allow the Opposition to flourish as the people’s conscience, because they hold them to account when they go astray and to remind them that power is trust, not might. I see it happening here, and also in Indonesia, even Thailand. But alas, I can’t say the same about the situation back home.

The persecution against Opposition leaders is unprecedented in the history of ASEAN. Character assassination continues unabated even as they are being dragged to kangaroo courts to face completely unsubstantiated charges. Some are incarcerated without trial, some are incarcerated after a sham trial and some are incarcerated after having been released from incarceration.

To the perpetrators of such tyranny we call on them to search within themselves and as Rousseau once said, “listen to the voice of our conscience in the silence of the passions.”

Some may listen but there are others yet who will not heed the call for reform in governance, or the electoral process, or for freedom and democracy. And there are some who make a show of it by engineering ingenious public relations programs, and spending millions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money to gain access to international media to make themselves look good. Well, they can spend all they want, but truth is not a commodity that can be bought or sold. As they say, you can’t fool all of the people all the time.

So, at the end of the day, when we set them against the freedom calculus of Rizal and Ninoy, these leaders come off as far below expectations, if not altogether unmitigated disasters. As governments that come to power not by free and fair elections but from foul and unscrupulous means, they fail miserably by any measure. But as ASEAN moves on and more and more of its member nations embrace freedom and democracy not just in name but in practice, the prospects are more than likely that these errant states will find themselves increasingly isolated and one day will succumb to the tide of reform. Let us hope that that day will come sooner rather than later.

Thank you.