The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on on May 24, 2012 titled “Malaysian People’s Court“. In it the influential newspaper challenges Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to admit to committing “civil disobedience” at the April 28 Bersih Rally and accept the consequences of that action.  The paper says rather cynically “If Mr. Anwar wants to practice civil disobedience, he can’t pretend to be innocent at the same time.”

The Wall Street Journal seems to believe that the primary purpose of the gathering on April 28 was to protest the Public Assembly Act, which states in Section 4(2)(c):

“a person commits an offence if he organises or participates in a street protest.”

It’s clear however that the April 28th demonstration has nothing to do with the Public Assembly Act, just like the previous BERSIH rallies in 2011 and 2007 had nothing to do with the predecessor laws to the Peaceful Assembly Act that restricted public assembly in Malaysia and presumably rendered those public gatherings technically illegal under Malaysian laws. The April 28th demonstration had the stated purpose of protesting electoral fraud. Subsumed within that protest are a whole litany of laws that prevent free expression and assembly of Malaysians.

What exactly did Anwar do that is illegal? Currently he has been charged with violating the Public Assembly Act and pleading not guilty. What legal tradition does the WSJ belong to that suggests an accused must prove himself innocent when charged with a crime?

Such an upside down approach to the law is usually the modus operandi of the Malaysian Attorney General, where politically motivated trials place the burden of proof on the defendant and not the prosecution in a true perversion of the justice system.

If indeed Anwar Ibrahim was engaged in an act of civil disobedience by participating in the April 28th BERSIH Rally then so too were the 200,000 other Malaysians gathered in downtown Kuala Lumpur, not to mention the thousands of others who demonstrated throughout the country. Why is Anwar Ibrahim and his two associates the only ones to be charged by the government? And why would the WSJ place the lions share of responsibility on Anwar Ibrahim and not BERSIH chairperson herself Ambiga Srenavasan?

Additionally, if the BERSIH gathering was deemed legal but it was the breaching of the barriers at Dataran Merdeka in particular that are considered the illegal act which Anwar was expressing civil disobedience over, then the WSJ’s point is also fundamentally flawed. Anwar has denied giving any instructions for people to breach the barrier and in fact the extended video of him near the barrier shows he tried to get the people to disperse, rather than cross the barrier.

A legitimate, independent investigation needs to be conducted to figure out what happened. The likely conclusion will be that those near the barrier were dead set on crossing over and prepared to face the consequences. There was no mechanism for Anwar, Ambiga or anyone else to control that sentiment. However, it’s also clear that a truly independent inquiry is virtually impossible in Malaysia and even when inquiries do happen, their results are ignored.

So why then should Anwar plead guilty to an act of civil disobedience when 1) he was not expressing civil disobedience but rather demonstrating in support of electoral reform and 2) when doing so would necessarily land him in jail or with a fine that would disqualify him from contesting in the upcoming general election?

Is now the time for Anwar to willingly banish himself to prison or to the political wilderness just to prove a point that the opposition is willing to adhere to the rule of law in a country where the laws are themselves fundamentally flawed. Is the Wall Street Journal trying to make a point that Malaysia is a reformed nation now and that both government and opposition should be held to the same high standard of adhering to the rule of law?

What laws are we talking about here? Whose laws? The Public Assembly Act was forced through parliament just like all of Najib Razak’s so called reform measures. They are in each case an example of giving some rights out with their right hand and taking away a series of other rights with their left hand. The net effect is pretty much zero. Is the WSJ drinking the Kool-Aid that Najib’s administration is mixing with the help of well paid international media consultants, including some journalists formerly employed by the WSJ?

Instead the WSJ should have read the latest polling results from the Merdeka Center that show 90% (i.e. virtually all) of Malaysians want to see the electoral roll cleaned before the next election and that nearly half of all Malaysians do not have faith in the integrity of the electoral process. There are also a large percentage of Malaysians, Malays in particular, who remain unclear about the stated goals of the BERSIH movement. Presumably, if given the chance to be informed and educated, a large percentage of these people will also question the integrity of the electoral process.

Is this not the real story that the WSJ missed by zeroing in on Anwar’s act of civil disobedience? The fact that an election is likely to take place in Malaysia within the next 11 months in the midst of the revolutions of the Arab Spring and the return to public office of Aung Sun Sii Kyi where 50% of voters do not believe in the integrity of the process and are thus likely to question the integrity of the counting and results?

Till now, except for the case of 25-year-old Mohd Safuan Mamat, where he was beaten up in an attempt to extract a confession, when Safuan went to the police station voluntarily, the police has not ascertained who damaged the police vehicles but are already bringing a civil suit against S. Ambiga and the Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee to seek RM122,000 in special damages for 15 police vehicles damaged during the protest, including two water cannon trucks.

It is also not transparent how the damages have been assessed in the first place, because there were no witnesses from both parties. Could it be possible that some damages have been further done to the vehicles in order to create a bigger loss?

Focus on the 8 electoral reforms

Going further, instead of pursuing a civil suit or pressing charges on the civil society movement, the Government should focus on the eight demands of Bersih.

Keadilan calls on Najib to focus on the eight demands by Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee, and ensure that all resources are focused on cleaning up the electoral roll and to make the electoral roll foolproof against any forms of cheating. After all, these people are doing a national service without being asked to be put on the already bloated government’s payroll.

Both EC chief and deputy must resign

Keadilan calls upon Prime Minister Najib to clean up the electoral roll before the next General Election and deal with the other issues such as gerrymandering and mal-apportionment to ensure that we have a clean and fair election.

Both the chairman and deputy chairman of the Election Commission should be asked to resign to pave the way for a new team who can work closely with the civil society to ensure the electoral process is foolproof.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat

One the most serious victims of tear gas during the chaos of Bersih 3.0 rally has come forward today to tell his tale of woe.

Asrul Wadi Ahmad, 29, from Kepala Batas, has been reviewed by four doctors and may be diagnosed as blind in the right eye if his condition does not improve in six months.

Asrul said he was hit by a tear gas canister directly on his face at about 3.15pm around Masjid Jamek, when he was participating in the Bersih protest on April 28.

“I lost vision in my right eye, and whenever I look, there is a black spot in my vision. The doctors I consulted told me that the impact on my eye had been due to an object which hit it at high speed,” Asrul told a press conference in Penang.

Asrul said the situation was calm when he was around Masjid Jamek, but suddenly turned chaotic when the tear gas was fired into the crowd.

When the canister hit him, Asrul fell to the ground and was assisted by members of the public who took him to a nearby hospital, where he was given nine stitches below his eyes.

When asked if he regretted his decision to participate in the rally, Asrul said, “No, this is the people’s struggle.”

He added that he would join another rally if a Bersih 4.0 was organised.

“As youths of the nation, we have a responsibility to ensure that our country remains democratic,” he stressed.

Asrul is in the process of initiating legal action against the police for his condition. He has also lost his job as a mechanical engineer in a manufacturing company in Penang, where he had been offered the job before the Bersih event.

“They told me the job needs someone with good eyesight, and with my condition, I can no longer be a suitable employee,” he lamented.

The Bersih event, following the firing of tear gas, had resulted in scores injured, including journalists covering the event, who claimed they were beaten by the police while on duty.    

Doc: Asrul can only see hand movements

Meanwhile, a medical doctor Dr Khim Pa, who accompanied Asrul during the press conference, said the impact of the tear gas canister on the victim’s eye was “very serious”.

“There was damage to the interior chamber of his eyes, his iris was damaged, and there is a blood clot behind his retina,” said the doctor.

“According to the eye specialist, his eyes could not be operated on as there is already scarring on his retina and his nerves there are damaged,” he added.

“If he looks at you, Asrul can only see hand movements and not fingers, he can only see a bit around the edges,” he stressed.

Dr Pa said that Asrul’s blindness may be permanent and in six months if his condition does not improve, he will be certified as “legally blind”.

KUCHING: Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi akan disapina agar datang ke mahkamah Perancis untuk memberikan keterangan.
 
 
(Apakah Najib dan Zahid boleh tersenyum lagi di mahkamah Perancis nanti)
 
Peguam Suaram yang baru pulang dari Perancis Fadiah Nadwa Fikri berkata, pihaknya telah memaklumkan kepada mahkamah Perancis tentang saksi-saksi yang akan dipanggil itu.

Turut disenaraikan sebagai saksi adalah bekas penasihat Najib, Abdul Razak Baginda dan isterinya Mazlinda.

Mahkamah Perancis sedang menyiasat dakwaan rasuah dalam pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpean yang dibuat oleh syarikat Perancis.

“Bila kami berjumpa dengan hakim pada 16 Mac lalu, kami telah serahkan senarai saksi yang perlu disapina agar datang ke mahkamah.

“Kami memberikan nama Najib Tun Razak, Zahid Hamidi and Razak Baginda,” kata Fadiah dengan mendapat tepukan gemuruh dari lebih 2,000 yang hadir dalam ceramahnya di Third Mile Bazaar, Kuching Ahad lepas lapor Free Malaysia Today.

Apabila kesnya difailkan di Perancis, Zahid berkata, beliau akan memberikan kerjasama penuh.

Namun, baru-baru ini selepas namanya disebutkan sebagai saksi, Zahid berkata beliau keberatan untuk pergi ke sana kerana tidak ada dana yang cukup untuknya.

“Siapa akan membayar kos penerbangan dan hotel saya di Perancis, ” soal Zahid.

Fadiah (gambar) dalam ceramahnya berkata, rakyat Malaysia sedia membayar kos penerbangan dan hotel Zahid di Perancis asalkan beliau sedia memberikan keterangan.

Menurut beliau, jika mereka enggan datang menjadi saksi selepas sapina dikeluarkan, mahkamah akan mengeluarkan notis sekali lagi.

Jika gagal hadir juga, mahkamah akan mengeluarkan waran tangkap untuk memaksa mereka hadir.

“Dan jika mereka gagal lagi, Interpol (International Police) boleh mengeluarkan amaran dan boleh ditangkap dan dibawa ke mahkamah Perancis,” katanya.
 
Sementara itu, rakyat Malaysia mula memberikan respon ke atas laporan ini dengan berkata mereka sedia menyumbang untuk membolehkan mereka berdua (Najib dan Zahid) menjadi saksi.

“Saya akan menyumbangkan RM1.00 dari wang yang saya cari dengan susah payah untuk menampung kos mereka. Jika tak cukup, saya boleh tambah RM1.0 lagi,” kata Cheong Seng Keong.

Namun katanya, “Saya tidak mahu menyumbang untuk kondom mereka.”

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed a symbolic victory today in having the man who unsuccessfully prosecuted him for sodomy join his legal team to defend an illegal assembly charge, pointing out that someone who was in government did not want to be a part of what he called the “dirtiness”.

Anwar has repeated his charge that the latest charge against him is politically-motivated, and said that former Solicior-General II Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden’s entry into his legal team was “meaningful” to him and a “positive development”.

“I received information that he was willing to join my legal defence team, so I as the accused contacted him for help,” Anwar (picture) told reporters.

“This is a positive development… I think more lawyers are biding their time to join me as well,” he said.

“Yusof’s presence is very meaningful to me. It shows that someone inside the government is aware of the ‘dirtiness’ and does not want to be a part of it,” he added.

Anwar pointed out that if Yusof truly thought he was guilty, then the former solicitor-general would not have agreed to join his legal team.

“Yusof came here with full commitment and his performance today is proof that he only wants justice to be served,” he said.

Yusof joined Anwar’s legal team as the opposition leader was today charged with taking part in an illegal street demonstration on April 28.

It was a startling turn of events as Yusof had led the Sodomy II prosecution against Anwar, which saw the latter being acquitted earlier this year.

He has since retired from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“Anwar called me last night and I had no hesitation,” Yusof told The Malaysian Insider when approached.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Yusof’s ties with Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail have been cool for some time and he had disagreed with the way some high-profile cases had been handled.

Yusof was earlier spotted mingling with Anwar’s other defence lawyers.

PKR leader and lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah had earlier confirmed with The Malaysian Insider in a text message when asked if the former government lawyer was on the PKR de facto head’s legal team.

Sivarasa said Yusof was assisting Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh. The other lawyers on Team Anwar are Karpal’s son Ram Karpal Singh Deo and Sankara Nair.

Anwar, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin were today charged with taking part in the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally under section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, less than a month after the new law aimed at allowing public gatherings “in accordance with international norms” was enforced.The offence under the Peaceful Assembly Act carries a maximum fine of RM10,000.

All three claimed trial.

Sessions Court judge Mahmud Abdullah set July 2 as the next mention date for the trial.

Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali akan didakwa esok berhubung perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0.

Satu kenyataan pejabat Azmin menyebut beliau menerima writ saman untuk hadir ke Mahkamah Majistret Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur atas dua pertuduhan di bawah Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 dan Kanun Keseksaan.

Beliau diminta hadir ke Mahkamah pada jam 9 pagi esok.

Writ saman tersebut diterima oleh Hilman Idman yang merupakan pegawai Khas Azmin di Tingkat 1, Ibu Pejabat PKR Damansara.

Menurut writ saman tersebut, Azmin dituduh melanggar Seksyen 188 Kanun Keseksaan yang dibaca bersama dengan Seksyen 109 dan Seksyen 34 kanun yang sama.

Dia dituduh bersama penyokong BERSIH 3.0 yang melebihi lima orang yang masih bebas, dalam mencapai niat bersama, telah bersubahat dengan Tangam a/l Raju, Rajesh Kumar a/l Gejinder dan Farhan bin Ibrahim @ Alias, telah mengingkari perintah yang dikeluarkan oleh Majistret Zaki Asyraf Zubir pada 26 April.

Azmin dituduh bersubahat dan menghasut Tangam, Rajesh dan Farhan membuka sekatan besi halangan di Dataran Merdeka.

Notis itu juga menyatakan keengkaran mereka dan penyokong BERSIH 3.0 yang lain mungkin menyebabkan rusuhan atau gaduh-gempur di kawasan tersebut.

Oleh itu, beliau dituduh melakukan kesalahan yang boleh dihukum di bawah Seksyen 188 dibaca bersama Seksyen 109 dan Seksyen 34 Kanun Keseksaan (Akta 574).

Dalam notis yang berasingan, Azmin dituduh menyertai protes jalanan bagi maksud membantah perintah Mahkamah Majistret di bawah Seksyen 98 Kanun Tatacara Jenayah yang telah dibuat pada 26 April 2912.

Dengan itu, Azmin dituduh melakukan kesalahan di bawah Seksyen 4(2)(c) Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 (Akta 736) dan boleh dihukum di bawah Seksyen 4(3) Akta yang sama.

Difahamkan Anwar juga menghadapi tuduhan yang sama. Ini menjadi mereka orang pertama yang akan didakwa di bawah Perhimpunan Aman 2012 yang luluskan baru-baru in.

Sementara itu, ketua kakitangan di pejabat Anwar – Ibrahim Yaacob – mengesahkan ketua umum PKR itu telah menerima notis tersebut pada jam 2.40 petang.

“Datuk Seri di ibupejabat parti di Merchant Square pada masa polis disampaikan notis itu pada jam 2.40 petang. Beliau (Anwar) berada di dalam mesyuarat dan notis telah diterima oleh saya,” katanya dalam jawapan SMS kepada Malaysiakini.

Menurutnya, terdapat dua pertuduhan berasingan – (1) Kanun Keseksaan (Akta 574) seksyen 188 dibaca bersama dengan seksyen 109 dan 34 dan (2) Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 (Akta 736) Seksyen 4(2) (c) dan Seksyen 4(3).

“Kita akan jumpa mereka di mahkamah…,” tegas Ibrahim

Seorang lagi yang telah menerima notis yang sama ialah aktivis PKR Negeri Sembilan, Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau lebih dikenali sebagai CheguBard. Ketika berita ini ditulis, kandungan notis tersebut masih belum dapat disahkan.

Sementara itu, menjawab soalan Malaysiakini melalui SMS, Ketua Bahagian Pendakwaan Pejabat Peguam Negara, Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah mengesahkan bahawa Anwar, Azmin dan Chegubard akan didakwa esok.

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim telah diperintahkan hadir ke Mahkamah Jalan Duta esok Selasa,22 Mei 2012, Jam 9.00 pagi. Beliau akan didakwa dibawah Seksyen 4(2)(c) Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 (Akta 736) dan boleh dihukum dibawah Seksyen 4(3)Akta yang sama kerana menyertai perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0.Perintah tersebut dimohon oleh Ketua Polis Daerah Dang Wangi.

KUALA LUMPUR: Inkuiri di mahkamah Perancis telah memulakan siasatan yang bakal menghubungkan segala titik mengenai Perdana Menteri Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak, pembelian dua kapal selam Perancis, rasuah sebanyak RM500 juta dan pembunuhan terhadap model Mongolia oleh para pengawal beliau.

Inkuiri berkamera yang diketuai hakim Roger Le Loire dan Serge Tournaire, yang cukup berpengalaman dalam kes korupsi dan hak asasi manusia, akan cuba membongkar samada syarikat pertahanan Perancis, DCNS dan rakan projeknya Thales International telah membayar rasuah untuk mendapat kontrak pada 2002 untuk membekal dua kapal selam Scorpene kepada tentera laut Malaysia.

Inkuiri tersebut adalah berdasarkan penyiasatan selama dua tahun dan pengumpulan bukti oleh polis Perancis.

Kontrak tersebut dimeterai ketika Najib masih menjadi Menteri Pertahanan dan perhatian khusus diberikan kepada peranan yang dimainkan oleh kawan karib dan penasihat politik beliau, Abdul Razak Baginda.

Pegawai berkuasa Perancis telah memaklumkan bahawa mereka sangat berminat terhadap dua bayaran yang dibuat oleh pembuat senjata Perancis.

Satunya berjumlah Euro 114 juta yang dibayar kepada syarikat Malaysia bernama Perimekar untuk kemudahan pengangkutan.

Pada waktu itu, Perimekar dalah dimiliki sepenuhnya oleh Razak Baginda dan isterinya Mazalinda.

Pihak majistret Perancis juga ingin mencari kebenaran di sebalik pembayaran Euro 36 juta kepada sebuah syarikat bernama Terasasi, yang pada asalnya dikorporatkan di Malaysia sebelum dipindahkan pendaftarannya ke Hong Kong, di mana berdasarkan Asia Sentinel adalah antara 142 syarikat yang mendaftar di Wan Chai.

Pengarah berdaftar Terasasi adalah Razak Baginda dan ayahnya Abdul Malim Baginda.

Persoalan mengenai pembelian kapal selam menjadi hangat dan tajam pada Oktober 2006 selepas cebisan mayat model Mongolia dan penterjemah Altantuya Shaariibuu dijumpai di hutan di luar Kuala Lumpur.

Beliau telah ditembak di kepala dan terdapat cubaan untuk memusnah mayat beliau dengan bom C4 milik tentera.

Altantuya merupakan bekas kekasih Razak Baginda dan beliau kali terakhir dilihat di luar rumah kekasihnya yang menimbulkan situasi tidak senang.

Beberapa tahun yang lalu, Altantuya merupakan seorang model di Perancis dan pada2004 beliau mengiringi Razak Baginda sebagai penterjemah semasa beliau merunding kontrak Scorpene.

Dalam satu surat tulisan beliau yang dijumpai selepas beliau dibunuh, menyatakan beliau ingin berdepan dengan Razak Baginda dan menuntut USD 500 juta sebagai harga untuk menutup mulut beliau dalam kontrak pembelian Scorpene.
 

(Aktivis Suaram dan peguam mereka [kanan sekali] di Perancis)
 
Kes ini tidak dapat diendahkan oleh mahkamah Malaysia, yang dikuasai golongan politik.

Walaupun Razak Baginda dan dua orang bekas pengawal Najib, Azilah Hadri dan Sirul Azhar Umar didakwa dengan pembunuhan, keputusan kes tersebut adalah pincang dan tidak menjawab banyak persoalan.

Dalam satu drama mahkamah yang menakjubkan, Razak Baginda tidak dipanggil untuk menjawab tuduhan bersubahat membunuh Altantuya, dan dilepaskan dan kini tinggal di Britain.

Para pengawal peribadi Najib telah menerima padah dan telah dijatuhkan hukuman mati. Mereka sedang dalam proses rayuan tetapi pendengaran telah ditangguhkan.

Spekulasi berkata pendengaran itu tidak akan berlaku sehingga lepas pilihanraya umum yang bakal tiba, dijangka Jun, di mana jika Najib dan kerajaannya mengekalkan kuasa, dijangka satu cara akan difikirkan untuk membalas kesetiaan pengawalnya.

Selepas gagal mendapat penyiasatan penuh ke atas skandal Scorpene di Malaysia, ramai aktivis hak asasi manusia dan keluarga Altantuya telah meletakkan harapan kepada penyiasatan Perancis.

Namun demikian, terdapat sedikit kekecewaan apabila mengetahui bahawa hakim Le Loire dan Tournaire hanya boleh menyiasat tuduhan rasuah dan bukan pembunuhan Altantuya.

Akan tetapi, 10 hari yang lepas, Suaram Malaysia telah diberikan kebenaran untuk memberikan penerangan kepada hakim secara peribadi.

Jurucakap Suaram berkata mereka telah menceritakan skandal Scorpene ini daripada konteks politik Malaysia dan memberikan hakim senarai saksi-saksi yang dikehendaki.

Antara senarai itu ialah Razak Baginda, dan telah ada laporan bahawa hakim akan cuba mengeluarkan subpoena terhadap beliau daripada Britain.

Tetapi akan ada yang tidak mengendahkan senarai itu, termasuk nama Najib.

Namun begitu, ayah Altantuya, Setev Shaariibuu berkata beliau ingin ke Perancis daripada Mongolia dan percaya perbualan terakhir bersama anak perempuannya akan dapat menghubungkan segala titik yang tergantung dalam skandal Scorpene ini kepada hakim di sana.