Mahkamah archive at Anwar Ibrahim

Archive for the 'Mahkamah' Category

Jan

Kenyataan Media: Qazaf Mekanisma Syariah Halang Fitnah

By Anwar Ibrahim 1 Comment

Categories: AIC, Analisis, Anwar, Demokrasi, Islam, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat and Penerbitan

Oleh AIC (anwar ibrahim club)

Sokong Pelaksanaan Qazaf Sebagai Mekanisme Syariah Untuk Halang Fitnah dan Politik Lucah

Hari ini, 30 Januari 2012, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim melalui barisan peguamnya akan mengemukakan hujah di Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah Kuala Lumpur. Ini bertujuan agar Mahkamah meneliti semula keputusan yang dibuat oleh Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Kuala Lumpur yang telah menolak permohonan untuk mahkamah memerintahkan supaya Ketua Pendakwa Syarie mendakwa Saiful Bukhari berhubung dengan kes qazaf.

Kelab Anwar Ibrahim (AIC) melihat pelaksanaan qazaf ini seharus dipermudahkan oleh Mahkamah, khususnya di dalam kes melibatkan Datuk Seri Anwar ini. Mahkamah Syariah mempunyai kapasiti yang jelas untuk membenarkan Saiful Bukhari dibicarakan melalui prosiding Mahkamah Syariah dan didakwa di atas tuduhan palsu yang beliau kemukakan pada tahun 2008.

Keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada 9 Januari 2012 jelas membuktikan bahawa tuduhan tersebut adalah tidak berasas, malah berniat jahat.

Pelaksanaan qazaf ini, secara jelas berpotensi menutup ruang fitnah daripada dilakukan secara berleluasa, malah ia juga dapat mengekang budaya menggunakan pertuduhan palsu melibatkan jenayah seksual sebagai satu alat politik untuk memusnahkan kredibiliti mana-mana pihak.

AIC melihat pembunuhan karakter ke atas Datuk Seri Anwar sudah menjadi semakin parah. Sekiranya pelaksanaan qazaf ini diperlekeh dan ditolak oleh Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah, ianya bukan sekadar satu ketidakadilan kepada Datuk Seri Anwar, malah secara tidak langsung menafikan prospek perundangan syariah yang jelas menjulang pembelaan hak-hak dan maruah mana-mana individu daripada difitnah sewenang-wenangnya.

Adalah sangat mendukacitakan, di saat Malaysia disebut-sebut sebagai Negara Islam Contoh oleh pemimpin negara, budaya fitnah dan penggunaan politik lucah semakin berleluasa di Malaysia sehingga ke satu tahap yang membimbangkan. Lebih memburukkan keadaan apabila ianya dijadikan satu senjata politik dan seolah tidak terhalang dan kebal daripada undang-undang.

Justeru harapan besar rakyat Malaysia amnya dan umat Islam yang prihatin khususnya, agar pelaksanaan qazaf ini dapat direalisasikan. Ayuh bersama tolak budaya fitnah dan politik lucah demi kemaslahatan rakyat dan negara, demi menjulang politik baru yang lebih matang dan segar.

Saifuddin Shafi Muhamad
Setiausaha
Kelab Anwar Ibrahim (AIC)

Jan

Qazaf: Peguam Protes Keluar Mahkamah

By Anwar Ibrahim 0 Comments

Categories: Anwar, Demokrasi, Islam, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen and Penerbitan

Malaysiakini

Peguam Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini bertindak keluar daripada Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah Kuala Lumpur susulan tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan Hakim Datuk Zohdi Toha menyatakan kebenaran tidak diperlukan kepada menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan dua lagi, untuk mendengar permohonan mereka mengetepikan rayuan Anwar berhubung kes qazaf.

Peguam Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzzaman (kiri) berkata tidak dapat menerima keputusan kerana berpendapat hakim perlu mendengar permohonan kebenaran terlebih dahulu dan memutuskannya sebelum mendengar hujah daripada peguam menteri sebelum mengetepi rayuan tersebut.

Beliau bersama-sama tiga lagi peguam, mengemaskan fail-fail mereka selepas tiga hakim mahkamah rayuan memutuskan demikian dan terus keluar daripada mahkamah bersama-sama Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan penyokongnya.

“Kami tidak boleh sertai (prosiding), ia terang-terang satu penyalahgunaan kuasa oleh pihak pemohon.

“Jadi kami terpaksa untuk keluar. Kami akan mengambil tindakan susulan iaitu menyemak keputusan kehakiman,” kata Kamar Ainiah kepada pemberita di luar mahkamah.

Selain Kamar Ainiah, Anwar diwakili oleh Dorina Abdullah, Dr Mohd Rafie Shafie dan Mohamad Burok.

Manakala pemohon diwakili oleh tiga peguam iaitu Roslizam Rahim, Abdul Halim Bahari dan Mohd Ridzuan Ramli.

Jan

Appeal Against Anwar’s Acquittal: A Fatal Error — Kim Quek

By Anwar Ibrahim 3 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Anwar, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik and Umno

The Malaysian Insider

Prime Minister Najib Razak seems to have made a U-turn in his position on the much lauded acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim from the sodomy charge.

When the totally unexpected acquittal was stunningly announced on January 9, Najib together with senior Umno leaders were quick to bask in the compliments that poured in from around the world for finally having done justice to Anwar despite the preceding perverted process that was seen as plain political persecution.

Najib, in particular, seemed proud of this High Court verdict, citing it as proof of the transformation that he had brought to the country. In an interview published by the influential Wall Street Journal on January 13, he told interviewer James Hookway that this verdict “underscores the depth of the reform process”. Najib said he was serious about the political reforms — to the extent of risking his chance of winning in the election.

Najib also expressed relief that the Anwar issue was finally over, and that the nation could henceforth tackle more serious issues such as the economy. He said:

“What is important now is that we move forward”.

There is no mistaking from this conversation that the prime minister was seizing this much approved ending to the trial as a positive development that would propel his reform agenda. In fact, he even told Hookway that through these changes he hoped to open up a new chapter with the US as “a partner in promoting democratic politics and free trade across Asia and the Islamic Middle East.”

U-TURN HAS DAMAGED NAJIB

With these words still ringing in the ears, it therefore came as a shock that the Attorney-General filed a notice of appeal against the Anwar acquittal on January 20. Even more shocking was Najib’s complete dissociation with this appeal the next day. The New Straits Times quoted him as saying that the appeal was something strictly between the complainant and the Attorney-General, and has nothing to do with his government and Barisan Nasional (BN).

Extending this Najib rationale, it must follow that High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah’s decision to acquit and discharge Anwar should have even less to do with him, BN and the government. Then on what basis was Najib claiming that judge Zabidin’s decision was proof of the extensive political reforms that he claimed he had carried out for the country?

Isn’t it obvious that when Najib claimed the verdict as proof of his reforms, he was in fact telling the world that a) he had undue control over the investigative and judicial process, b) he realised it was wrong for exerting such control for illegitimate political purposes, and c) he had agreed to cease such interference as a step towards restoration of democracy and rule of law?

In fact the whole world knew as much that it was political persecution right from the very beginning of Anwar’s ordeal 3½ years ago, when he was savagely arrested and subsequently charged without an iota of evidence, save the complainant’s obviously dishonest claim. Otherwise, why should the whole world be shocked by the verdict?

If the police had been fair and prosecutor and judge had conducted themselves above board, shouldn’t the world have expected rather than shocked by the verdict?

It is high time that Najib and his colleagues moved out from their self-induced delusion that the people do not know. It is for their own good that do not misjudge the extent of the people’s awareness of the truth in this Internet age of instant information.

If there is any message that we can read from this latest move to appeal against Anwar’s acquittal, it is that this appeal is proving for the umpteenth time that Najib’s words are not to be trusted; and it also shows up once again that his so-called political reform is more an illusion than reality.

A-G FISHING IN MUDDY WATER

Now, let us turn to the Attorney-General who seems to me to be trying to fish in muddy water in submitting the notice of appeal. Let me explain.

On the day that the A-G’s Chambers submitted the notice of appeal on January 20, national news agency Bernama released a bulletin at 1936hrs, quoting an unnamed official in the A-G’s Chambers as saying that “the trial judge was required under the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to provide a written judgment to enable either the prosecution or the defence to file the notice of appeal within 14 days”. Bernama then quoted the unnamed official:

“After perusing the written judgment, they will decide whether to file the petition of the appeal.”

However, two hours later, another Bernama news bulletin released at 2151hrs reported the A-G’s Chambers making a different statement. Bernama stated:

“The Attorney-General’s Chambers said today that the decision to file an appeal against the High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was based on evidence and the law.

“It said that in making any decision, the department acts solely on the evidence and in accordance with the law, not influenced by any emotion or parties.”

Bernama further quoted the A-G’s Chambers’ statement as saying:

“The decision to file this notice of appeal will enable this department to obtain the full written judgment of the learned judge and the record of the proceedings from the High Court; and accordingly will be able to appreciate the grounds considered by the learned judge in arriving at that decision.”

It is obvious that the A-G’s Chambers realised the mistake in the first statement for having only mentioned its decision to appeal as being dependent on the content of the written judgment, without the ritualistic recital of “fact and law” as its basis. The second statement was to make up for these deficits.

Even with this supplementary statement to add “fact and law” as its rationale for appealing, the A-G’s Chambers continued to emphasise that what motivated the filing of notice was to avail itself of the chance to peruse the written judgment.

There is the unmistakable impression that the A-G would await the written judgment before making the final decision to appeal.

That begs the question: shouldn’t the A-G’s Chambers have a stand of its own, being the party which initiated the charge and laboriously built up the prosecution case? It should be more knowledgeable than anybody else on the strength and weaknesses of its evidence, and there is no reason why it cannot decide whether the verdict is fair or unfair without the full written judgment, unless of course it is waiting for an opportunity to pounce on any possible technical flaw in the written judgment.

PROSECUTION CASE TERMINALLY FLAWED

The judge has made it clear that he was discharging Anwar because there was evidence of tampering in the only corroborating evidence of the trial — the DNA.

And he was fully justified to make that remark, as it was scientifically impossible for any sperm to have survived more than 100 hours for DNA identification under tropical room temperature as in the Anwar case, as rightly pointed out by the Australian DNA expert Dr Brian McDonald.

Does the A-G agree or disagree with this view?

If he answers in the negative, can he name one authority that would support his opinion?

If he answers in the positive, can he tell us why he is appealing?

And what “fact and law” he was talking about when the DNA evidence had already been exposed as fake?

Is it not obvious that by filing the notice of appeal, the A-G was in fact reserving his right to appeal in the hope that he might later find some technical loophole in the written judgment to knock out the verdict, hence the repeated emphasis on these documents as essential for its decision-making?

Does such unprincipled conduct that disregards justice befit the chief legal adviser to the King and the Cabinet, sworn to uphold the Constitution? Or is such conduct more reflecting that of someone who is faithfully continuing the undertaking to eliminate the chief rival of his political master?

The answer is self-evident from the earlier proceedings and now from the latest move to appeal against the acquittal.

TRAGEDY FOR UMNO

It is indeed a tragedy for Najib and Umno that just as Justice Zabidin’s judgment has opened up a small window of opportunity for Najib to make a baby step in his bumbling attempt to bring some reforms, that window is quickly shut with this opportunistic attempt to appeal.

Worse, it has now proven beyond reasonable doubt that Umno is beyond salvation.

And that is fatal for Umno, in the present ambience of people power sweeping away entrenched corrupt regimes — a tidal wave of change that has transformed the Middle East, swept across the region, and now already landed on Malaysian shores.

Jan

International Response Filters in, Condemning Najib’s U-turn on Anwar Acquittal

By Anwar Ibrahim 6 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Catatan, Demokrasi, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik, Program and Umno

Malaysia Chroncle
by Maria Begum

International response is starting to filter in on news that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government has decided to appeal the acquittal of political arch rival Anwar, the Opposition Leader, who was found “not guilty” by a High Court judge last week.

Phil Robertson, Deputy Director of the Asia Division, Human Rights Watch was among the early bird to condemn the Najib administration for its latest flip-flop.

“The trial court gave the government a chance to bow out gracefully from Anwar’s politically motivated prosecution. It’s very unfortunate that they didn’t take it. This decision means the citizens of Malaysia will be further subjected to the more political machinations in the courtroom as the government perpetuates this travesty of a trial for a crime that should not be a crime in the first place,” Phil said in a statement.

Persecution, not prosecution

Meanwhile, Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said he has yet to be notified of the decision. He slammed the move as an obvious case of “political persecution” and not prosecution.

“I have not been formally notified by the prosecution. However if it is true, then it is most regrettable and atrocious- given that the trial judge has stated succinctly, in his verdict that the crucial evidence was “tampered”,” said Sankara.

“Hence the substratum of the prosecutions case is fatally demolished,rendering any appeal, no matter how many times, an desperate act in futility. It appears to be a case of political persecution of Anwar and not prosecution.”

As for Anwar himself, he has said it was the Attorney-General’s right to appeal but warned that there should be no government or political interference. However, most Malaysians would tell him that this may be beyond the manipulative Umno, Najib’s party which has ruled Malaysia for the past 5 decades.

Judge conceded key DNA evidence was compromised

Malaysian prosecutors had filed the appeal papers at the High Court criminal registry at 4.30pm on Friday, January 20, according to criminal deputy registrar Halilah Suboh.

On Jan 9, Anwar was acquitted on a charge of sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan due to a lack of corroborative evidence. Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah delivered his decision to a packed courtroom, as more than 10,000 supporters gathered outside the court building to show their support for the charismatic and popular leader.

“After going through the evidence, I cannot be 100 percent certain that the evidence could have been compromised. Hence, the court is reluctant to convict on such corrobaration of evidence from SP1 Saiful. The court does not exclude the possibility the (DNA) samples were compromised. Therefore the accused is acquitted,” Mohd Zabidin told a stunned courtroom, that took a second before it burst into euphoria and loud cheering.

Najib’s weak leadership and global attention

The decision was praised throughout the world and Najib’s latest inability to stay the course, giving in to hardliners in his Umno party such as former premier Mahathir Mohamad, is bound to increase the negative impression of Malaysia that has furthered worsened during his watch. The move will also underscore Najib’s weak hand on the government as well as his inability to provide political stability and jump-start the already slowing economy.

“Anwar, I have just heard the news of the acquittal. Congratulations. There was never any doubt of your innocence. That it is confirmed for the world to see is a wonderful thing. We are all so very happy for you and for Malaysia,” wrote Paul Martin, the former prime minister of Canada.

Indeed, there is more than meets the eye in the sodomy charges pressed against Anwar, who has blamed Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor of hatching the plot together with complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan so as to derail his political comeback. Given the flimsiness of the evidence, experts never expected Najib to take the case to the trial stage, but he succumbed to pressure from the Umno right wing, especially Mahathir, who still harbors a deep hatred for Anwar.

Pundits say Mahathir is also concerned that Anwar, his former deputy and who nearly toppled him in 1998, knows too much of his past wheeling-and-dealing. If not imprisoned, chances are high Anwar will become the next prime minister of Malaysia, leading the Pakatan Rakyat opposition to victory in general elections that must be held by April 2013.

Fair and impartial, says Saiful

Anwar was charged on Aug 8, 2008 under Section 377B of the Penal Code with committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature. He was accused of sodomising Saiful at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, on June 26, 2008. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to 20 years.

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Saiful said the appeal shows that the Malaysian legal system was fair and impartial.

“My family and I would like to state that with the filing of the notice of appeal, my right to complaint as stated in my 2008 police report has been heard, and (went) through the proper process of justice all the way to the High Court. In accordance with the law (it) has been achieved,” he said in a blog posting.

Jan

Appeal Against Anwar’s Acquittal Politically Motivated & Legally Unsound

By Anwar Ibrahim 2 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Anwar, Demokrasi, Hebahan, Isu Semasa, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen and Politik

I refer to the statement by the Attorney-General’s chambers claiming that the decision to apppeal against Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal is based on evidence and the law and will enable them to obtain the grounds of judgement and apppreciate the judge’s reasoning. In fact, the appeal is politically motivated, legally unsound and influenced by the ruling BN party. If the AG’s chambers had really proceeded solely on the evidence and the law, there would have been no appeal filed against the acquittal. The only kind of law the appeal could possibly be based upon is the law of the jungle.The appeal is a major embarassment to the regional and international reputation of our country. Once again UMNO has made our justice system the object of global mock and ridicule.

The A-G’s chambers has been a willing tool in the hands of UMNO in its vicious, immoral and relentless persecution of Anwar Ibrahim. Since 1998, the A-G’s chambers has been a key player in UMNO’s attempts to imprison Anwar and terminate his political career. The current Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail who made the decision to file this appeal, featured prominently in the first sodomy trial which ended in Anwar’s 6 years imprisonment for a crime he did not commit.

The A-G’s chambers’ excuse that they needed to file the appeal in order to ‘appreciate the grounds considered by the learned judge in arriving at that decision’ is simply absurd and untenable. The chambers must weigh the necessity of appeal based on the totality of the evidence presented at the trial and the flaws and shortcomings of the prosecution case. As clearly demonstrated by his counsel at trial, the case against Anwar is so full of holes that there is no necessity to even look at the judge’s grounds of judgement.

The filing of this appeal is an outrageous example of the unscrupulous abuse of State powers which has become the trademark of the Barisan Nasional coalition over the past 54 years of its corrupt and authoritarian rule. This appeal is further evidence that Najib’s promises of change and reform were nothing more than a massive and hypocritical fraud upon the people of this nation. The motive for the appeal is to jail Anwar and hinder Pakatan Rakyat from winning Federal power in the coming general election. Come what may, Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat will never falter or fail in the ongoing battle for change and reform, and for a fair and just Malaysia.

Issued by,
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN

Jan

Embattled Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim Bent on Malaysian Reform

By Anwar Ibrahim 1 Comment

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya and Politik

From Saturday’s Globe and Mail

By MARK MACKINNON

Anwar Ibrahim was supposed to be in jail right now. The leader of Malaysia’s opposition would be convicted of having sex with a male aide, everyone here expected, and jailed long enough to ensure he posed no threat in the country’s coming elections.

But after his surprise acquittal earlier this month, Mr. Anwar suddenly has a very different residence in mind. “The next time we meet,” he says conspiratorially as we sit in his party’s headquarters on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for his first interview with a Western newspaper since the verdict, “it will be in a different office.”

A smile spreads above his greying goatee as he points up and beyond me. He means Putrajaya, the suburb of Kuala Lumpur that’s home to the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Southeast Asia begins 2012 as a region in upheaval. Myanmar’s generals have begun unexpectedly tearing down their authoritarian system, and neighbouring Thailand’s coup-prone army stood aside last year and let the opposition it had previously confronted in the streets take power via the ballot box.

Mr. Anwar is convinced that Malaysia, a nominally democratic nation that has been dominated by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) since the country gained independence from Britain in 1957, will be the next to see sweeping change.

“There’s definitely a Southeast Asian Spring taking place. No question about it. … We are between the ancien régime and the rebellion of the masses,” says the man sometimes portrayed as the Nelson Mandela of this Muslim majority state. Mr. Anwar says the opposition would win a fairly held vote – and he warns that Malaysia could see scenes like those in Cairo’s Tahrir Square if it is somehow prevented from taking power.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians have already shown their willingness to demonstrate, marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur last July to call for reforms to the country’s electoral system, which is seen as having been gerrymandered in the ruling party’s favour

“We want free and fair elections,” Mr. Anwar says. And if not? “Then we will fight. The people will not take it. No civilized country would accept the rape of the nation.”

Having managed to maintain and build support through 14 years of sodomy charges and other smears – no small feat in a conservative country that bleeps out words like “bang” from reruns of How I Met Your Mother – there’s suddenly a sense in Malaysia that Mr. Anwar might just end up in Putrajaya before the year is out.

Another jail term would likely have brought an end to the political career of the 64-year-old, who was deputy prime minister and UMNO’s heir apparent until he fell out with the autocratic Mahathir Mohammed in 1998 over the handling of that year’s Asian financial crisis. The relationship between the two men, long described as being similar to father and son, quickly dissolved into acrimony, mud-slinging and violence.

Mr. Mahathir called for police to investigate allegations that Mr. Anwar was corrupt and gay. Mr. Anwar was duly arrested, beaten by police and sentenced to 14 years in prison, although that sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004. (Sodomy is illegal in Malaysia, though the colonial-era statute seems to be used almost exclusively against Mr. Anwar, a married father of six. Charges against Mr. Anwar – who has denied that he’s gay – and his associates account for four of seven recent uses of the law.)

The latest sodomy charges initially seemed to follow the old script, forcing Mr. Anwar to spend more time defending his reputation than building opposition to the government. The repeated allegations are scoffed at by many in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur but likely have damaged Mr. Anwar’s popularity in more conservative rural areas. In a sign of how dimly gay rights are viewed in Malaysia, Mr. Anwar came under fire this week by the government-controlled press after he called the sodomy law “archaic.” He was forced to repeat a previous statement that he does “not promote homosexuality in public sphere and domain.”

Since his acquittal, friends and allies say Mr. Anwar – always a workaholic – is more seized than ever with his Mandela-inspired vision of opening his country’s political system and ending the institutionalized political bias toward ethnic Malays (who are favoured for civil service and military posts ahead of the country’s Chinese and Indian minorities). He crams in as many meetings and campaign rallies as the day can fit, to the point where Some wonder whether his wiry frame, already besieged by arthritis and back pains caused by a 1998 police beating that was followed by six years in jail, is up to the task.

“I can say for a fact – because I’ve seen his medical records – that he suffers from facet joint arthritis, and [his] left sciatic nerve is damaged. He’s limited in his movements. The whole thing was exacerbated by the beatings, but it’s age as well,” said Sankara Nair, a lawyer who represented Mr. Anwar in the 1998 and 2011 trials known here as Sodomy I and Sodomy II.

But Mr. Nair says his friend and client will only be slowed, not stopped, by his ailments. “I think Anwar is being looked upon as the saviour of the opposition, the salvation of the country. Is he up to it? Yes he is. … He’s even prepared for further allegations, but it’s full speed ahead to the elections. There’s no stopping this man.”

The personal attacks – and the allegations of marital infidelity and homosexuality – have also taken their toll, especially on Mr. Anwar’s family. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a long journey, personally,” said his 31-year-old daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

But 14 years of watching her father battle persecution also transformed Ms. Nurul Izzah from a self-described “rather apathetic teenager” into a firebrand opposition MP, one who inherited her father’s flashing brown eyes and natural political skills. “This whole journey convinced me that this fight is not about Anwar,” she says. “It’s an attempt to move Malaysia forward.” (One of the main criticisms of Mr. Anwar is that he has turned his People’s Justice Party into something of a family dynasty, with his wife Wan Azizah serving as interim leader while he was in jail and his daughter now emerging as heir apparent.)

Mr. Anwar heads an improbable coalition of Islamists, liberals and ethnic parties, an alliance that has already proven itself a threat to UMNO’s dominance, having won control of five of the country’s 13 state parliaments. It’s a coalition very much held together by his own chameleon-like character – the Islamists trust him because of his background as a leader of a Muslim student group, the liberals and middle class because of his successful tenure as the country’s finance minister, while ethnic groups look to his mixed Indian-Malay background and his long record as a defender of human rights.

Whether Malaysia really is changing as fast as the opposition believes arguably depends on why Mr. Anwar was acquitted on Jan. 9. Some believe Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah – who throughout the trial had seemed openly biased toward the prosecution – was making a stand for judicial independence when he curtly delivered his not-guilty verdict. Others believe Judge Diah simply received new orders from the top as the lurid trial became an international embarrassment to the Malaysian government. The former version got a boost Friday when the prosecution announced it would appeal the not-guilty verdict, once more putting Mr. Anwar’s political future in a court’s hands.

Behind that question of Judge Diah’s intentions is a wider debate about how serious Prime Minister Najib Razak is when he says he intends to transform Malaysia – a country that has lagged behind neighbouring Indonesia in embracing political change – into what he calls a “mature, progressive democracy.” The government has in recent months announced a series of major changes, trying to seize the mantle of reform as its own.

Last fall, Mr. Najib announced he would repeal the country’s hated Internal Security Act – a colonial-era law that allowed for “preventative detention” – and loosen restrictions on the country’s media, which is currently under tight government supervision. “I think that when Anwar tries to present himself as a reformer, he will find that ground is already occupied by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak,” the government’s Information Minister, Rais Yatim, said in an interview.

But government critics see only rhetoric so far. Mr. Najib plans to replace the ISA, which is currently still in place, with another act that will still allow preventative detention, albeit with more judicial oversight. The new law will also ban protest marches, a move seemingly targeted at giving police the power to crack down on any election-related protests. Few other promised reforms have materialized yet: with an election perhaps just months away, pro-government newspapers are still the only ones with permission to print, and promises to review election laws that currently favour the ruling party have gone unfilled.

Mr. Anwar scoffs at the idea that Mr. Najib and UMNO are capable of substantive reform. “This government is not changing. It is the people who are going to change Malaysia.”

Jan

Pinda Undang-Undang Aib Musuh Politik

By Anwar Ibrahim 3 Comments

Categories: Aktiviti, Analisis, Anwar, Demokrasi, Islam, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik and Program

Malaysiakini

Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencadangkan supaya undang-undang yang didakwanya digunakan untuk mengaibkan seseorang, dipinda termasuk peruntukan dalam seksyen 377 (B) dan 377 (C) Kanun Keseksaan.

Katanya, pindaan tersebut perlu dibuat bagi memastikan supaya ianya tidak digunakan untuk menghina seseorang khususnya terhadap musuh dalam politik.

“Memang undang-undang yang ada, (seperti) 377 (B), 377 (C) digunakan untuk mengaibkan orang, digunakan untuk musuk politik,” dakwanya.

“Orang bertanya kenapa tidak meminda undang-undang yang ada. Ya, saya akan pinda… supaya memastikan (ianya) tidak bermaksud untuk menghina orang,” katanya yang juga ketua pembangkang.

Anwar turut menempelak pihak tertentu yang mempertahankan undang-undang yang didakwanya “jumud” digunakan untuk memfitnah seseorang.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapannya malam tadi bagi mengulas kontroversi wawancaranya dengan rangkaian penyiaran British (BBC) yang dilaporkan minggu lalu sehingga beliau dituduh menyokong homoseksual.

Rangkaian itu meminta Anwar menyatakan pendirian sama ada beliau bersedia memperjuangkan ‘idea anti-diskriminasi’ terhadap kumpulan itu dan menegaskan masyarakat Islam dan bukan Islam di Malaysia secara keseluruhannya percaya dan komited menyokong kesucian perkahwinan antara lelaki dan wanita.

“Tetapi kami tidak harus dilihat sebagai menyusahkan dan menganggap undang-undang lapuk sebagai relevan,” kata Anwar dalam temubual dengan BBC itu.

Bercakap di majlis kesyukuran sempenan pembebasannya daripada tuduhan liwat pada 9 Januari lalu, Anwar menegaskan kenyataannya bahawa Islam dan bukan Islam menyokong perkahwinan lelaki dan perempuan menjawab perbuatan seks bebas, homoseksual dan lesbian.

Anwar yang juga bekas presiden Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) berkata, umat Islam tidak boleh menghukum seseorang melakukan “perselingkuhan” kecuali ianya dilakukannya di hadapan umum.

“Orang berkata, itu kalau di tempat persendirian? Kamu tahu mana?… Bukan mengendap atau merobek privasi orang, tidak boleh,” tegasnya di hadapan tetamu yang hadir di kediamannya di Segambut Dalam, malam tadi.

Selain beberapa pemimpin PKR, turut hadir di majlis itu ialah bekas menteri kabinet, Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, yang turut serta bersolat maghrib, solat hajat, solat Isyak serta majlis bacaan Yassin sebagai tanda kesyukuran di atas pembebasan Anwar daripada tuduhan tersebut.

Mengimbau kisah pada hari keputusan liwat II diumumkan, Anwar yang juga ahli parlimen Permatang Pauh sempat bersarapan bersama-sama ahli keluarganya selepas bersolat subuh.

Bahkan, beliau juga sempat memeluk dan mencium ahli keluarganya kerana berkemungkinan beliau mungkin tidak balik sekiranya didapati bersalah, walaupun jauh di sudut hatinya, beliau merasa akan dilepaskan.

“Paling tidak, mungkin dibenarkan diikat jamin. Tetapi berlaku sebaliknya. Jika bersalah, mungkin riuh dalam negara dan menjadi fokus di luar negara.

“(Tetapi) saya lepas. Saya tidak tahu (sebabnya). Mungkin hakim tahu, sebab (penghakiman) dibaca cepat, beliau keluar pun cepat, tak sempat (saya) nak angkat tangan,” katanya diiringi dengan gelak ketawa hadirin.

“Yang saya pasti, the power of prayer. (Kuasa doa) ini adalah luar daripada pertimbangan politik,” katanya sambil memaklumkan masyarakat tempatan dan antarabangsa turut mendoakan agar beliau dibebaskan.

Katanya, dengan keputusan itu juga menyebabkan media arus perdana “meroyan macam orang gila” dengan mencari apa-apa sahaja” untuk menyerangnya, bahkan ada pihak yang terkejut dan kesal dengan pembebasan beliau itu.

Dalam kesempatan itu juga, Anwar turut menceritakan pengalaman beliau bersama isterinya Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail bertemu dengan cucu bekas perdana menteri India, Rajmohan Gandhi, yang mana temujanji itu telah lama diatur sebelum keputusan liwat II ditetapkan.

Katanya, Rajmohan memperuntukkan masa selama lima jam berbincang dengan Anwar secara peribadi, berhubung usaha memartabatkan perjuangan demokrasi.

Menurutnya dalam perjalanan menuju kediaman Rajmohan yang terletak di atas bukit di Panchgani – yang memakan masa selama lima jam dari Mumbai – Anwar singgah minum sejenis air teh yang menyebabkan beliau teringat akan kelazatannya.

Anwar juga berkata selepas berada di India, beliau bertolak ke Turki untuk memenuhi undangan bertemu dengan Perdana Menteri Raceb Tayyib Erdogan.

Bagaimanapun beliau terpaksa menangguh untuk bertemu Presiden Turki Abdullah Gul kerana terpaksa pulang ke tanah air bagi menghadiri Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat di Alor Setar, Kedah.

Dalam ucapannya selama 45 minit itu juga, Anwar turut memberitahu bahawa beliau menerima banyak ucapan tahniah melalui emel, SMS dan panggilan telefon daripada pelbagai pihak berhubung keputusan tersebut.

Antaranya bekas naib presiden Amerika Syarikat Al-Gore, bekas perdana menteri Kanada Paul Martin dan ulama tersohor Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi dan Dr Wahbah Al-Zuhaili.

Sebelum itu, orang ramai termasuk penyokong memenuhi halaman rumahnya bagi menghadiri majlis kenduri kesyukuran sempena pembebasan beliau daripada tuduhan liwat II.

Sebanyak empat khemah besar dipasang di halaman rumah tokoh pemimpin PKR itu dan dihamparkan tikar bagi membolehkan hadirin yang hadir duduk bersolat dan duduk mendengar tazkirah ringkas yang disampaikan ketua penerangan PKR Dr Mohd Nor Manuty.

Jan

Why the Latest News From Malaysia Helps to Undermine Authoritarianism Throughout The Region.

By Anwar Ibrahim 2 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Antarabangsa, Anwar, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya and Politik

From ForeignPolicy.com

Why the latest news from Malaysia helps to undermine authoritarianism throughout the region.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL

Something remarkable is happening in Malaysia, and the rest of the world should take note.

Malaysia, you ask? Really? It’s only 28 million people, and it’s just one part of Southeast Asia, a region fragmented into a variety of cultures and systems — and largely off the radar of people in the West, except when it comes to planning honeymoons on the beach. So why should non-Malaysians care?

Last week, a Malaysian court acquitted Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the country’s main opposition movement, of sodomy charges. (Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia.) Anwar’s supporters have long maintained that the case against him was actually political, cooked up by the government to prevent him from mounting a credible challenge to the system that has ruled the country for decades. Anwar was arrested on similar charges back in 1998 and spent six years in jail before a court finally overturned his conviction. Many understandably expected the same thing to happen again this time around.

But it didn’t. To general astonishment, the court dismissed the accusations, saying that the DNA evidence cited by prosecutors didn’t hold up to scrutiny. The judges, it seemed, had actually assessed the case on its own value. And with that ruling, Anwar can now continue his campaign against the government, one that is likely to culminate in a general election within the next year or so.

So why should we regard this story as worth our attention? Well, it’s certainly true that the verdict could help Anwar lead the opposition to victory, thus overturning decades of control by the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO). But this is by no means a given. Just because Anwar has been pronounced innocent doesn’t mean that he’ll win. Ernest Bower, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, notes that the opposition movement headed by Anwar is a fairlyvolatile coalition of different groups pulled apart by sometimes competing interests: “Anwar has a real challenge ahead,” Bower noted in a recent email to me. “As he and his supporters anticipated a guilty verdict, they had planned to rally around political martyrdom. Now they need to go back to basics and compete in an election based on an economic and policy platform and ensure their very diverse coalition gets unified around those ideas.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has been pledging to clean up corruption and reform the system from within, can now argue that efforts are bearing fruit. The verdict works in his favor as well.

And even if Anwar does win the next election, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to deliver on his own promises of reform. Malaysia’s complicated political mix — in which ethnic Malays have long enjoyed the benefits of affirmative action programs designed to improve their chances against the country’s sizable Chinese and Indian minorities — will throw considerable obstacles in the way of any effort at fundamental change. It’s likely, of course, that imposing accountability on the ruling party is a good thing in itself. It’s hard to dispute the need for a thorough housecleaning of the entrenched Malaysian political elite.

But these are issues that matter primarily to Malaysians. What about the rest of us?

Here’s the thing. For decades now, Malaysian leaders — above all, the country’s crusty ex-prime minister, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad – have been arguing that the country owes its remarkable record of economic progress to something called “Asian values.” In this reading, Asians are inherently predisposed to discipline and thrift, traits often attributed to Confucianism or its influence. In line with this theory, the region’s authoritarian leaders have dismissed democratic institutions and “Anglo-Saxon” free-market capitalism as alien assaults on local mores. Of course, this was an argument that just happened to have the handy side effect of shoring up the legitimacy of said authoritarian leaders. As long as they could reasonably claim to be delivering the goods of rapid growth and social stability, many voters were content to take the claim at face value.

Of late, however, the “Asian values” model has been taking some dents. Indonesians threw their dictator overboard at the turn of the century and now enjoy one of the region’s strongest economic growth rates. Last year, voters inSingapore, long controlled by the ruthlessly efficient People’s Action Party (PAP), handed surprising victories to opposition candidates. (To be sure, the PAP is still in power – but its share of the popular vote declined to just over 60 percent, its worst result since 1965, when Singapore became a country.) Meanwhile, Myanmar’s military rulers have announced that they want to free up the country’s political system, and the leaders of its long-abused opposition are preparing to participate in a parliamentary by-election in the spring. And now the story in Malaysia is getting interesting too.

Some of the other societies in the region aren’t quite there yet. But while Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos all maintain authoritarian forms of government, they have opened up considerably in economic terms. So what’s to stop them from one day following in the footsteps of Singapore or Malaysia?

Around the region, people are increasingly expressing a desire for official accountability. Economic growth on its own is not enough to satiate the desires of a rising middle class that is tired of being patronized by the powers-that-be. These citizens are insisting on participation, transparency, and an end to corruption.

Indeed, it would seem that these are the real Asian values now coming to the fore. Last month, writing in a Malaysian newspaper, journalist Karim Raslannoted that, under the old rules of the game, were willing to concede certain civil liberties in return for implicit government guarantees of “prosperity and social peace.” But that compact no longer holds: “This worked well enough when the economy was growing and internal checks and balances prevented undue injustice,” wrote Raslan. “Unfortunately, a stalling economy has brought out our inherent weaknesses, including corruption and mismanagement. Moreover, there’s a mounting sense –whether true or not — that elite groups are securing enormous personal benefit by manipulating the system.” As a result, he suggested, Malaysians are now starting to think seriously about throwing the bums out.

None of this, of course, means that the people in these countries are necessarily striving to embrace the Washington Consensus or the principles of Jeffersonian Democracy. The push for greater openness is coming from the region’s peoples themselves, not being imposed from without. And it is precisely for that reason that the rulers’ self-aggrandizing claims of legitimacy are sounding hollower by the day. So, once again, why is this important to Westerners or Americans?

Because it’s not just Malaysians or Singaporeans who will feel the effects. The Chinese Communist Party has long legitimized its rule in terms strikingly similar to those employed by Mahathir or Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew. But suddenly those arguments about wise rulers lording it over happy and quiescent populations are looking, well, very 1999. “These values will continue to force change in Asia,” Bower notes. “In fact, it is likely that political evolution in Southeast Asia may influence China more in the next five years than Chinese economic dynamism influences Southeast Asia.” And there’s the real take-away from this story.

Jan

Rekayasa Fitnah Utusan:Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim Fail Saman Esok

By Anwar Ibrahim 5 Comments

Categories: Anwar, Hebahan, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat and Parlimen

Makluman Media:

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan memfailkan saman terhadap Utusan Malaysia berkaitan fitnah jahat dengan memutar belit wawancara beliau bersama BBC esok,Jumaat 20 Januari 2012,jam 11 pagi di Mahkamah Jalan Duta bersama peguam.

Pejabat Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Jan

Saya Dengar Lain, Akhbar Tulis Lain – Nik Aziz

By Anwar Ibrahim 7 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Anwar, Demokrasi, Islam, Isu Semasa, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Pilihanraya and Politik

Harakah

Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat menyifatkan dakwaan terhadap Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim penyokong ‘gay’ adalah karut.

Katanya, pihak media masih belum serik membuat fitnah terhadap Anwar walaupun usaha yang sama menerusi kes liwat telah tersungkur.

Katanya, apa yang beliau dengar kenyataan Anwar berhubung undang-undang gay berlainan dengan apa yang tersiar dalam media.

“Saya dengar Datuk Seri (Anwar) sebut benda lain tetapi surat khabar tulis benda lain.

“Sudahlah tuduhan liwat baru-baru ini memakan masa berpuluh tahun berakhir dengan sekelip mata, kali ini tak serik lagi nak buat tuduhan lain pula,” ujarnya.

Beliau seterusnya mengingatkan pihak lawan untuk menyerang parti yang lain perlu menyerang dasar dan bukan batang tubuh atau peribadi.

“Menyerang manusia ini dipanggil mengumpat, tetapi politik ini diserang dasar oleh pihak lawan dan bukannya peribadinya.

“Serang dasar parti yang dipegang oleh Datuk Seri, itu perkara lain, ini tidak serang peribadi, semuanya kerja tak cerdik,” ujarnya lagi.

Sebelum itu,Tuan Guru yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan menerima kunjungan Menteri Pembangunan Pusat Bandar Kampung Baru dan Kewangan Negara China, Zhao Guang Qing, di pejabatnya tengah hari tadi.

Turut sama dalam kunjungan berkenaan, Exco kerajaan negeri, Datuk Husam Musa dan bekas anggota Dewan Negara, Ahmad Rusli Ibrahim.

Sementara itu Naib Presiden PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar berkata, BN sendiri ternyata gagal dalam menangani isu homoseksual ini.

Malah beliau mempersoal, apa tindakan kerajaan terhadap aktiviti terkutuk itu yang aktif beroperasi di sekitar Chow kit dan Lorong Haji Taib.

“Kalau benar kerajaan BN bersungguh menentang gay, kenapa di Lorong Haji Taib ini bersepah aktiviti ini.

“Saya nak katakan bahawa, undang-undang yang sedia ada ini gagal menangani permasalahan ini,” katanya.

Jan

DSAI Begins Legal Action Against Utusan Malaysia

By Anwar Ibrahim 8 Comments

Categories: Anwar, Hebahan, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat and Parlimen

I refer to certain reports published in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper on January 17^th 2012 alleging that the Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had made statements in a BBC interview calling for the legalizing of homosexuality.

These reports are defamatory, scurrilous, politically motivated and gutter journalism of the lowest kind.

In the BBC interview, the Opposition Leader whilst calling for review of archaic laws, went on to state that “we, Muslim and non-muslim generally believe and are committed to support the sanctity of marriage between man and woman in Malaysia. We do not promote homosexuality in the public sphere and domain”. Thus the Utusan Malaysia report is completely and blatantly false.

The UMNO-linked Utusan Malaysia newspaper has consistently published false, mischievous and scurrilous reports against the political opposition. Indeed, politically motivated and dishonest media reporting has become the norm among many mainstream media organizations such as Utusan Malaysia. This dismal state of affairs has been created, fostered and encouraged by the Barisan Nasional government.

In view of this, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has in the public interest begun legal action against Utusan Malaysia. Through his solicitors, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has on 17.1.2012 issued a demand notice against Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd which is the proprietor of Utusan Malaysia newspaper and against the Editor of Utusan Malaysia, demanding retraction of the above allegations, an apology and damages. He brings this action as a matter of principle and in vindication of the people’s right to fair media reporting.

Issued by,

N. SURENDRAN

VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN

Jan

Sinar keadilan Dari Mahkamah Jalan Duta

By Anwar Ibrahim 0 Comments

Categories: Analisis, Anwar, Catatan, Demokrasi, Isu Semasa, KeADILan, Mahkamah, Malaysia, Media, Pakatan Rakyat, Parlimen, Penerbitan, Pilihanraya, Politik and Sidenotes

Dari Harakah
Oleh Abdul Shukur Harun

Sejak awal Subuh lagi (Isnin), Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, yang berada di depan Mahkamah Tinggi Jalan Duta didatangi ribuan umat Islam untuk mendengar keputusan kes perbicaraan liwat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Mereka menunaikan solat Subuh dan kemudian menuju ke kompleks mahkamah tersebut – tidak jauh dari situ dengan penuh semangat dan bersedia menerima apa saja keputusan mahkamah.

Dingin Subuh tidak terasa kerana ramainya orang yang hendak memberi sokongan kepada Anwar, seorang pemimpin pembangkang penuh karisma, yang menghadapi siri fitnah bertahun-tahun lamanya.

(Gambar: Awal Subuh mereka sudah berkumpul di Masjid Wilayah)

Sebahagian besar mereka yang datang menyangkakan, Anwar akan dijatuhkan hukuman bersalah, namun mereka menggagahkan diri untuk datang bagi meneruskan perjuangan ketua pembangkang itu.

Ertinya di sini, mereka bukan semata-mata datang untuk menyokong Anwar secara peribadi, tetapi mereka datang untuk menyokong perjuangan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat itu bagi membebaskan Malaysia dari cengkaman politik Umno/BN yang korup.

Walaupun tenggelam dalam persepsi umum bahawa kemungkinan besar Anwar akan dihukum, orang ramai terus berjalan dengan aman ke pekarangan mahkamah tersebut dalam cuaca pagi yang semakin cerah.

Matahari sedikit demi sedikit menampakkan wajahnya, di balik rimbunan pohon-pohon di situ, seperti gadis sunti yang malu-malu. Dan orang ramai – pelbagai kaum – terus berkumpul. Teriakan ‘Reformasi’, ‘Allahu Akbar’ bergema. Ratusan wartawan dan juru-foto dari dalam dan luar negara turut sama dalam gelombang orang ramai itu

Ini membuktikan bahawa kes Liwat-11 Datuk Seri Anwar ini mendapat perhatian antarabangsa, di samping beliau sendiri adalah tokoh yang terkenal di peringkat antarabangsa.

Di tengah gegak gempita orang ramai menyambut para tokoh pembangkang yang tiba seorang demi seorang, pasukan polis berkawal dengan tenang, malah ada yang dengan ramah menyambut salam orang ramai, kontras dengan suasana Himpunan Bersih 2.0 dulu yang penuh dengan ketegangan.

Waktu berjalan dan degup jantung hampir setiap orang begitu kencang ketika menanti keputusan perbicaraan tersebut – suatu keputusan yang sangat akan membantu arah jalannya politik negara ini.

(Gambar: Presiden PAS yang datang untuk memberikan sokongan moral kepada Anwar)

Tetapi keadaan yang mendebarkan itu kemudian bertukar tiba-tiba dengan teriakan gembira orang ramai apabila diumumkan bahawa hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohamad Diah memutuskan Anwar tidak bersalah dan mengarahkan supaya beliau dibebas dan dilepaskan.

Setelah mendapat pengesahan berita itu, penyokongnya terus melonjak kegembiraan dan menjerit, “Anwar tidak bersalah!”. Kebanyakannya tercengang-cengang mendengar berita itu. Matahari pagi terus naik – menyaksikan peristiwa itu – seolah-olah ikut gembira kerana berakhirnya sebuah fitnah. Continue reading ‘Sinar keadilan Dari Mahkamah Jalan Duta’