Independent.co.uk

The BBC has owned up to a “nominal fee” programming scandal in which viewers of 15 editorial programmes were hoodwinked by “serious” conflicts of interest of programme makers and a failure to declare that documentaries had outside sponsors.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein Onn announced today that the investigation papers in the latest police probe against Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been submitted to the Atttorney General. The probe is the newest in a series of politically motivated police and prosecutorial actions launched against Anwar Ibrahim since 1998, with the complicity of UMNO, A-G Gani Patail and the top police leadership. This time Anwar is being investigated for supposedly giving false information to the police. Hishamuddin’s statement is surprising, disturbing and suspicious. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is only scheduled to give a statement to the police on this matter on Wednesday 16th November 2011; yet it seems the papers had already been submitted to the Attorney General. This development confirms the deep involvement of the A-G Tan Sri Gani Patail in this latest police investigation against the Federal opposition leader.

Serious allegations of Gani Patail’s involvement in fabricating evidence in the first sodomy trial and the ‘black-eye’ investigation have yet to be resolved or answered. Further, Gani Patail’s animosity towards the political opposition in general and biasness in favour of the BN government is a matter of public knowledge. It should be noted that widespread public concern on this matter had forced former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in July 2008 to order that A-G Gani Patail have no direct involvement in the second sodomy trial. What is clear is that Anwar can have no hope of fairness or justice in this latest police action against him. This relentless and disgraceful hounding, harassment and intimidation of Anwar Ibrahim must stop; the BN government must realise that the people of this country and the global community are watching and judging their actions.

Issued by,
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN

Malaysiakini

Seorang pegawai penyiasat memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi di Kuala Lumpur hari ini beliau tidak menyiasat kenapa hanya seorang pakar bedah menandatangani laporan perubatan berhubung pemeriksaan perubatan ke atas Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim walaupun dua pakar Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) menjalankan pemeriksaan itu pada hari Anwar ditahan pada 16 Julai, 2008.

Superintendan Judy Blacious Pereira, saksi pematahan kedua pihak pendakwaan dalam perbicaraan kes liwat Anwar berkata beliau berpendapat bahawa penyiasatan itu tidak penting kepada kes itu.

Bagaimanapun, beliau bersetuju dengan peguam utama Anwar, Karpal Singh semasa pemeriksaan balas bahawa kedua-dua doktor, Datuk Dr S Jeyaindran dan Dr Ee Boon Leong, selepas memeriksa Anwar, sepatutnya menandatangani laporan itu untuk ia diterima sebagai eksibit dalam perbicaraan jenayah.

Saksi itu juga memberitahu mahkamah, salinan laporan yang ditandatangani oleh Dr Jeyaindran telah diserahkan kepada seorang lagi peguam bela Anwar, SN Nair, pada 24 Disember, 2009, atas permintaan peguam itu tetapi salinan kedua yang ditandatangani oleh kedua-dua pakar perubatan tidak diserahkan kepada pasukan pembelaan.

Mengenai isu lain yang dibangkitkan oleh Karpal, Supt Judy, yang kini bertugas di bahagian perundangan dan pendakwaan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Persekutuan (Bukit Aman), menegaskan salinan yang diserahkan kepada Nair dicap dengan perkataan “sulit”.

Semasa pemeriksaan utama oleh Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Datuk Nordin Hassan, Judy memberitahu mahkamah yang beliau membawa Anwar, diiringi peguamnya R Sivarasa, ke HKL pada kira-kira 8.30 malam, 16 Julai, 2008.

Beliau juga memberitahu mahkamah yang beliau menyerahkan dua dokumen kepada doktor berkenaan — satu dikenali sebagai Pol 59 (permohonan untuk mengambil sampel) serta surat permohonan untuk melakukan pemeriksaan fizikal ke atas Anwar.

Sementara itu, Dr Jeyaindran, saksi pematahan keempat, memberitahu mahkamah bahawa selain pemeriksaan fizikal, polis juga memintanya dan Dr Ee mengambil sampel calitan pada badan dan sampel darah daripada Anwar untuk menyiapkan penyiasatan mereka.

Dr Jeyaindran berkata beliau telah menjelaskan kepada Anwar tujuan pemeriksaan perubatan itu.

Pada ketika itu, Karpal mencelah dan memohon Hakim Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah untuk meneruskan keterangan itu secara tertutup.

The Malaysian Insider

The Barisan Nasional (BN) government paid RM94 million to raise its international profile over three years to FBC Media, which is under probe by British regulators for producing content on Malaysia without revealing that Putrajaya was its client.

But the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) denied any involvement in how FBC Media secured coverage in the international press.

In a written reply to a question in Parliament, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s office said that the 12-month contract that was signed in 2007 was renewed twice for a total cost of €19.6 million.

“It is the responsibility of FBC Media to obtain airtime in international media and the government has no control over this matter.

“This is a matter of discussions between FBC Media and the BBC,” the PMO replied to Batu MP Chua Tian Chang’s question posed last Thursday.

Malaysia ended its contract with the public relations firm last month after it was revealed that government leaders routinely appeared in paid-for interviews on global television programmes on CNBC.

FBC is now being investigated by British media regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) as well as the BBC and CNBC for producing content on Malaysia without revealing it received money from Putrajaya.

Both broadcasters have dropped FBC programmes from their lineup. (more…)

Malaysia Chronicle

As expected, Prime Minister Najib Razak unveiled a Budget 2012 stashed with cash goodies aimed to lure voters back to the BN fold, but it was immediately shot down not just by opposition but also by financial experts who gawked at his overly rosy economic projections.

In Budget 2012, Najib forecast GDP growth of 5 to 6% while the deficit was to drop to 4.7% from a projected 5.4% in 2011.

“That’s a pretty bullish outlook relative to the street and relative to ourselves as well. We’re looking at 4 per cent this year and 4.2 per cent next year. Second-half growth has to turn up to 5.5 per cent to average even 5 per cent. So that looks a bit optimistic from my view,” Hak Bin Chua from Merrill Lynch Bank of America told Reuters.

Faking it with overblown growth projections, no details on where money to come from

But Najib, who is also Finance minister, may have no choice. If he did not ‘fake’ his projections, there may not be enough to finance the plans he unveiled. (more…)

Keadilan Daily

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak masih gagal mengumumkan tarikh sebenar untuk memansuhkan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), tegas Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Dia (Najib) umumkan untuk mansuhkan Akta ISA, tapi tidak nyatakan tarikh sebenar, dalam masa sama pula bercadang untuk bentangkan dua akta baru yang saya yakin tetap zalim.

“Kalau pun diperkenalkan, ia dengan adalah dua undang-undang yang keras. Tiada tanda jelas mengapa dia mahu mansuh ISA, tapi masih tak membenarkan aktiviti dan fungsi parti politik, dan tiada akses kepada media arus perdana,” kata Anwar pada sidang media di lobi Parlimen hari ini.

Turut hadir dalam sidang media itu ialah Presiden Pas, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang) dan ahli Parlimen Rasah, Anthony Loke.

Kerajaan hari ini hanya membentangkan usul bagi rang undang-undang memansuhkan Akta Kediaman Terhad 1933 dan Akta Buang Negeri 1959.

“Adakah ini yang dikatakan reformasi demokratik. Jawapan saya – Tidak,” tegas Anwar yang juga Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh.

Dalam pada itu, Anwar turut memberi amaran kepada Najib supaya jangan berhelah dengan melengah-lengahkan pembentukan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen (PSC) kerana Pakatan Rakyat telah menyatakan komitmen penyertaan.

“Kita minta pengakuan supaya Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) melaksanakan tanggungawab dengan segera.

“Pendirian Pakatan Rakyat bersepakat untuk beri laluan dan bekerjasama. Jadi, jangan jadikan helah dan alasan untuk melengahkan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Parlimen (PSC), mengenepikan tuntutan Bersih dan rakyat Malaysia.” tegasnya

Beliau turut menamakan tiga wakil Pakatan Rakyat di dalam PSC iaitu Ahli Parlimen Gombak, Mohamed Azmin Ali, Ahli Parlimen Rasah, Anthony Loke dan Ahli Parlimen Kuala Krai, Dr Hatta Ramli.

Keadilan Daily

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tidak gentar dengan tayangan susulan video fitnah terhadapnya sebaliknya mahu menumpu usaha membela nasib rakyat.

Tayangan terbaru pada video fitnah yang cuba untuk mengaibkan Ketua Pembangkan itu sedikit pun tidak memberikan kesan kepadanya.

Video terbaru itu yang disebar blogger pro-Umno tanpa sebarang tindakan tegas daripada polis, memaparkan Anwar keluar masuk lif bersama Datuk Shazryl Eskay.

“Saya tak susah hati, saya lawan orang jahat. Yang bawa kes ini adalah ustaz baru Umno, Syeikh Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik,” sindirnya merujuk kepada bekas Ketua Menteri Melaka itu.

Eskay dan Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik adalah sebahagian trio Datuk T yang memfintah Anwar ‘.

Beliau berkata demikian pada ceramah Pakatan Rakyat anjuran Unit Penerangan Kerajaaan Pulau Pinang di Stadium Bandaraya 17 September lalu.

Kata Anwar, beliau sudah biasa dizalimi tetapi tidak mahu hak rakyat terus dicabuli kerajaan Umno BN, sesuka hati.

“Kalau zalim pada saya, saya maafkan tetapi jangan rampas hak rakyat,” kata Anwar.

Dalam isu lain, beliau menempelak Najib yang kononnya mahu menghapuskan keperluan memperbaharui permit penerbitan setiap tahun sedangkan akhbar rasmi KEADILAN sehingga kini tidak diberi permit.

Jika Najib benar-benar percaya kepada kebebasan bersuara, katanya, Perdana Menteri itu tidak menghalang permit akhbar yang mengkritiknya.

“Kata media bebas tetapi Suara Keadilan tak diberi lesen penerbitan. Najib juga bayar CNBC untuk memuji-muji Najib,” katanya merujuk usaha Perdana Menteri itu melobi mendapat slot televisyen antarabangsa.

Oleh Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man

Apabila terbongkarnya fakta bahawa parti Umno telah mengadakan hubungan dengan Parti Komunis Cina (CPC) dengan menandatangani perjanjian persefahaman (MoU), Perdana Menteri (PM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak tetiba membuat kenyataan bahawa “komunis sekarang tidak sama dengan komunis dahulu.”

Kata PM:
“Komunis sekarang lain, komunis dulu lain, dulu mereka ingin kuasai negara dan sebarkan ideologi yang tak beri hak kepada rakyat. Kita baik dengan negara komunis sekarang kerana mereka telah tinggalkan ideologi lama mereka.”

Jika kita mengikut logik PM, maka boleh disimpulkan bahawa komunis sekarang sudah tidak lagi menjadi pengganas, kerana itu komunis sekarang tidak lagi mendatangkan bahaya kepada negara.

Sekiranya rakyat mengikut logik PM yang bijak ini juga bermakna, mana-mana rakyat yang ingin menganut ideologi komunis sekarang tidak lagi dianggap bahaya dan bukan lagi ancaman kepada negara.

Mungkin atas logik tersebut juga rasanya, sebab utama beliau sedia berbesan dengan anak pemimpin Kazakhstan, sebuah negara berfahaman komunis dan lama di bawah jajahan Rusia.

Jika benar kenyataan Najib itu ikhlas, rakyat kini tetiba rasa hairan bilamana dalam ambang perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 baru-baru ini, mengapa pula kerajaan di bawah telunjuk beliau menahan enam pemimpin PSM dalam Akta Ordinan Darurat kerana tuduhan cuba menghidupkan fahaman komunis? Bukankah ini melanggar logik Najib sendiri? (more…)

The Malaysian Insider

Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKIPM) menggesa Majlis Profesor Negara (MPN) menarik balik kenyataan pihaknya minggu lalu bahawa negara ini tidak pernah dijajah oleh British dan ia seolah-olah mengiktiraf kehadiran kuasa itu di Tanah Melayu.

Presidennya Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin berkata, pihaknya berpandangan kenyataan akhbar MPN itu tidak boleh dipandang sebagai bernilai ilmiah dan wajar ditarik balik.

“Amatlah malang bagi negara ini sekiranya para ilmuwan kita gagal memahami metod penelitian sejarah secara objektif dan ilmiah.

“Sesuatu fakta sejarah haruslah melalui proses-proses penelitian seperti heuristik, verifikasi, interprestasi dan historiografi sepertimana lazimnya dilaksanakan oleh para ilmuwan dan pengkaji sejarah yang berwibawa,” kata beliau sambil menambah, “justeru, mewakili golongan pelajar dan mahasiswa di Malaysia, PKPIM menuntut MPN untuk menarik balik kenyataan yang mengelirukan ini.”

Dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini, Ahmad Fahmi berkata, PKPIM juga meminta semua pihak termasuklah ahli politik supaya berhati-hati dalam mengeluarkan kenyataan yang melibatkan fakta dan sejarah. (more…)

Oleh : Tuan Ibrahim Tuam Man

“Menghalau penjajah lebih mudah berbanding membuang pemikiran penjajah” – itulah ungkapan untuk menggambarkan negara kita walaupun telah merdeka 54 tahun, namun pemikiran penjajah masih kukuh dan utuh dalam pemikiran sesetengah golongan sehingga ada yang masih berbangga dengan apa yang ditinggalkan penjajah. Apa yang menyayatkan hati ialah kebutaan golongan ini dalam membakulsampahkan golongan yang ikhlas berjuang menghalau penjajah kini sebagai komunis.

Manakala golongan yang sanggup bersekongkol dengan penjajah dan taat menerima segala arahan penjajah sehingga membidas, mencedera dan malah ada yang sanggup membunuh orang sendiri yang melawan penjajah pula didewa-dewakan mereka sebagai hero.

Seluruh fakta sejarah yang bersama Inggeris dikekalkan, bahkan nama-nama parti politik masih menggunakan bahasa penjajah (Umno, MIC, MCA – semua adalah singkatan bahasa Inggeris) masih bangga mendabik dada dan berulang-ulang menyebut “Kamilah pejuang bangsa, Kamilah pembela tanahair” sehingga bertukar menjadi “Kami sahajalah pejuang bangsa, Kami sahajalah pembela tanahair” sehingga mengabaikan dan menggugurkan jasa para pejuang lain yang tidak diiktiraf pihak Inggeris dalam sejarah.

Dalam bab menjaga Islam lagi menyedihkan. Selepas 54 tahun negara merdeka, nama Islam bukan sahaja tidak bertambah harum, malah kian dilihat sebagai agama yang menghalalkan rasuah dalam pentadbiran, penyalahgunaan kuasa demi kekal berkuasa, rakyat didahulukan untuk disembelihkan apabila ekonomi negara disalahtadbir dan perundangan Islam hanya berlegar soal peribadi dan kekeluargaan.Bukan itu sahaja, malah majoriti institusi-institusi agama turut dikongkong untuk mengembangkan ajaran Islam dengan pelbagai enakmen yang direka bukan sahaja menyusahkan dan pada masa yang sama menyebabkan agama Islam ditertawakan.

Banggakah kita sesudah 54 tahun merdeka, isu-isu utama seperti soal perpaduan kaum, soal agama dan dasar pendidikan nasional dan soal memartabatkan bahasa kebangsaan masih teraba-raba mencari jalan keluar? Setiap kali menjelang pilihanraya umum, isu agama dan kaum akan digunakan sebagai senjata sewenang-wenangnya oleh parti pemerintah untuk dijaja kepada kaum masing-masing bagi meraih undi.Inilah nasib bilamana negara dipimpin oleh mereka yang pemikiran masih dibelenggu oleh elemen penjajah.

Akhir-akhir ini, gesaan untuk melucutkan kerakyatan dan memperbanyakkan laporan polis dan saranan seseorang agar ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) hanya kerana bercanggah pendapat dengan pihak pemerintah telah menjadi satu budaya baru dalam negara.Segalanya dibuat seolah-olahlah merekalah undang-undang, dan merekalah pendakwa dan merekalah jugalah hakim.

Terbaru, timbul pula desakan menggugurkan kerakyatan Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu semata-mata kerana beliau mengangkat Mat Indera sebagai pejuang kemerdekaan. Tiada pula kedengaran, ada yang menyarankan mereka yang terlibat dalam konspirasi memberikan kerakyatan kepada warga asing dengan sewenang-wenangnya, yang terang-bederang khianat kepada negara selepas 54 tahun merdeka untuk dibuang kerakyatan. (more…)

Malaysia Today

On 6 August 2008, I wrote an article called ‘Shafee Abdullah: sodomologist extraordinaire’. Shafee has since sued me for this article and in his summons-in-chamber he says that my allegation does not contain any particulars. Well, today, I will certainly give him those particulars that he seeks.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It was a few days before that article that I received the phone call from Tamrin Ghafar. Tamrin said someone wants to meet me and it was very urgent and extremely important that I meet this person. It was agreed that we meet for tea at the Havana Club in the One World Hotel in Damansara Utama.

My wife and I arrived there early but did not have to wait too long. Within minutes Tamrin walked in with Datuk Kamal Amir and Datuk Kadar Shah. It was actually Datuk Kadar who wanted to see me although Tamrin did not mention that earlier when he phoned me — and I knew better than to ask over the phone considering the police were monitoring my phone calls.

Datuk Kadar related how he had gone to lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s office a few days earlier to discuss Jamaluddin Jarjis’s bottom pinching case in the Havana Club at KL Sentral. I think Datuk Kadar was involved because he had an interest in the establishment. Anyway, I was told Shafee wanted JJ to pay RM1 million as ‘settlement’ or else his scandal was going to explode.

And this was when Datuk Kadar saw that whiteboard with Anwar Ibrahim’s and my name on it and the police officers who were in the office discussing the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II case. And a few days later the whole sodomy thing exploded with Saiful’s ‘revelation’ that he had been sodomised, the PUSRAWI doctor’s examination that showed Saiful was still a virgin, and Najib’s denial and later his admission that he had met Saiful prior to the sodomy allegation.

The rest I had already written about in August 2008, which you can read below in case you have not read it yet. I have since been sued and the case is still pending. And Datuk Kadar said he will come forward to testify if need be that he did see what he told me he saw in Shafee’s office that day, and which I wrote about on 6 August 2008. Shafee, of course, denies this and that is why he sued me.

*************************************************
Very troubling reports have been published, which reveal the existence of a medical report of an examination done by a doctor on Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan a few hours before Saiful lodged a police report that he had been sodomised. The medical report apparently shows that there is no evidence that he had been sodomised by anyone.

Such reports raise some very serious questions that require immediate answers:

(1) Are the police in possession of such a medical report?

(2) Was the doctor concerned interviewed by the police and was he detained for any length of time?

(3) Is the doctor concerned facing any form of intimidation and, if so, by whom?

(4) Is there a medical report by another doctor that either confirms or contradicts the first medical report?

(5) If it is true that the medical report exists showing a lack of prima facie evidence, what then could have been the justification for the vigorous actions taken against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as the public call by the authorities for his DNA sample?

The answers to these questions are of paramount importance, as they bring into focus the integrity of our law enforcement system.

These latest disclosures regarding the investigations into the sodomy allegations are not the only ones to raise questions that need answering. There is, for example, also the issue of P. Balasubramaniam’s abrupt “disappearance” that has yet to be satisfactorily explained. No one can deny that the circumstances of his first and second statutory declarations are highly unusual. All these show a pattern of events that cause much disquiet to right-thinking members of the public.

The Malaysian people are deeply troubled. A country that truly believes in the rule of law should not be faced with so many disturbing developments and unanswered questions.

The credibility of the Malaysian justice system as a whole is therefore at stake. The integrity of professionals, be they doctors or lawyers, must never be interfered with. The public must be left in no doubt that the criminal justice system in this country will not be misused or abused. There must be nothing less than an open and thorough investigation into these cases. This calls for the courage and professionalism of all those involved to do the right thing no matter the consequences. And those who have shown such courage and integrity must know that they live in a country where it is safe to do so.

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
President
Malaysian Bar

*************************************************
What Ambiga said in her press statement above is certainly true and she has cause for concern. But she would be even more concerned if she knows what we know about this whole matter.

A special police operations centre was set up some time ago to coordinate all activities related to the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy crisis. No, the special police operations centre was not set up AFTER the alleged sodomy act took place on 26 June 2008. It was set up way before 26 June 2008.

Why the need to set up a special police operations centre BEFORE the date of the alleged sodomy act? Are they clairvoyant and did they peep into their crystal ball and ‘see’ the crime happen before it actually happened? Was the special police operations centre set up so that they could solve the crime? Or was the special police operations centre set up BEFORE the date of the ‘crime’ so that they could invent the so-called crime?

Yes, questions and yet more questions. But this is not yet the icing on the cake. The icing on the cake is that this special police operations centre is not located in the police headquarters. It is located in the meeting room of the office of prominent Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah who possesses a notorious reputation for fixing cases such as those involving the people implicated in murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu or those alleged to have pinched the bottoms of cigar girls in the Havana Club in Kuala Lumpur.

Name me any questionable case and you will find the hand of Shafee Abdullah behind that case. And this same person is coordinating the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy allegation from the meeting room of his law office in Kenny Hills.

There are four police officers headed by an officer name Aziz who are based in this special police operations centre in the meeting room of Shafee Abdullah’s law firm. But why are they based in an Umno lawyer’s office instead of in the police headquarters? Is this an official police operation or is this a rogue operation? Yes, we have watched many Hollywood movies about the CIA’s Dirty Tricks Department. Have Shafee Abdullah and the Royal Malaysian Police also seen the same movie? It appears so because the special police operations centre in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm looks like a plot out of these movies.

In this special police operations centre in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm is a whiteboard and on this whiteboard are two names: Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin. Below these two names are all sorts of notes, scribblings and etchings. There are also charts and strategies on how both Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin can be implicated in various crimes and incarcerated until their teeth fall out of their gums.

Yes, the police report to Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah. And Shafee Abdullah coordinates this special police operation with the IGP and AG. And the purpose of this special police operations centre in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm is to explore how to incarcerate Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin. And the special police operations centre has to be in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s office and not in the police headquarters because, officially, the IGP and AG are not involved in the Anwar sodomy case, as announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Shafee Abdullah is no ordinary man. In fact, he is not even a man; he is a devil. But he is Malaysia’s first and foremost sodomologist, a specialist in crimes of sodomy. And that is why the Pusrawi doctor’s report was rejected. He is just a normal doctor, a GP, argued the government. The prognosis of a normal doctor can’t be accepted as evidence in a sodomy case, never mind if he has been practicing medicine for two decades or more. They need the prognosis of a sodomy specialist, a sodomologist, and Shafee Abdullah is Malaysia’s first and foremost sodomologist.

That is why Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) II Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof did not meet Saiful in the police station or at the police headquarters. The special police operations centre is not in the police station or at the police headquarters. It is in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm. So it would be dangerous to meet Saiful in this law firm lest someone finds out. That is why Rodwan met Saiful in room 619 of the Concorde Hotel.

Okay, so Rodwan met Saiful one day before the alleged crime took place. But then maybe Rodwan is clairvoyant or he has a crystal ball and he ‘saw’ that a crime of sodomy was going to take place the following day. Some people do have this gift of ‘foresight’. Nevertheless, whether the timeline appears a bit out of sync or not, they still have the ‘evidence’ to work on to ‘prove’ that Anwar did sodomise Saiful the day AFTER Saiful met Rodwan in room 619 of the Concorde Hotel.

One such crucial evidence was supposed to be the doctor from Pusrawi’s medical examination of Saiful at 2.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. But then the doctor said that he had examined Saiful and found no evidence of sodomy. This report has since surfaced and the doctor has gone missing so, now, there is no way they can use this evidence.

The next evidence was supposed to be the second medical examination done at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) at 4.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. But then the outpatient department of the HKL was closed at 4.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. So how could a second medical examination have been done? Yes, that’s right. No second medical examination was done and the doctors at the HKL refuse to doctor a medical report to say that the second medical examination had been done, when none had been done, or to say that they did find evidence of sodomy, when they did not.

Since none of the doctors at Pusrawi or HKL are cooperating with the police, the last piece of ‘evidence’ will have to be Saiful’s underwear. Okay, Saiful’s underwear does not really have Anwar’s semen stains on it. But this is a small matter. As long as someone from the Chemistry Department is prepared to testify that they did examine Saiful’s underwear and they did find Anwar’s semen stains on it, then that would be good enough. They will be able to build their case against Anwar and charge him for sodomy based on this ‘evidence’ from the Chemistry Department.

No, the Chemistry Department has NOT come out with their report yet. There is no report from the Chemistry Department that says they found Anwar’s semen stains on Saiful’s underwear. This is because they first of all need Anwar’s specimen so that they can plant it on the underwear and so that the Chemistry Department can then ‘discover’ it.

But Anwar is being bloody silly. He is being extremely pigheaded and stubborn. He refuses to hand over his specimen. How can they plant Anwar’s semen on Saiful’s underwear when Anwar refuses to let them take his specimen? The Chemistry Department can’t prepare its report saying that it found Anwar’s semen on Saiful’s underwear until the police are able to plant it there. But Anwar does not want to voluntarily hand over his specimen so this plan is being upset a bit.

But never mind. As soon as Parliament convenes later this month they will rush through a new law that will make it mandatory for you to hand over your specimen if the police demands that you do so. Refusing to hand over your specimen when the police demand that you do so will soon become a crime and you can be sent to jail. They will try to pass this law before Merdeka Day of 31 August 2008 and they will try to backdate the law and make it retrospective so that any ‘crime’ committed before the passing of this law will also be covered.

Soon they will get Anwar once the DNA Act becomes law and Anwar can no longer refuse to hand over his specimen. Then, once they have obtained Anwar’s specimen, the Chemistry Department will be able to ‘discover’ it on Saiful’s underwear. Then they will be able to arrest and charge Anwar. And, who knows, they might even be able to convict him as well.

Yes, this Shafee Abdullah the sodomologist is good. He has names, charts, notes, scribbling and etchings all over his whiteboard in the meeting room of his law firm. This meeting room has been the special police operations centre for quite a while now. It was set up long before the alleged sodomy crime took place on 26 June 2008. It was set up not to solve the sodomy crime. It was set up to create the crime.

But, thus far, they lack one very crucial piece of evidence. They lack Anwar’s specimen that they need to plant on Saiful’s underwear. But they will get it as soon as the new DNA Act becomes law and they can use this law to force Anwar to hand over his specimen. Then Anwar is finished and they can close down the special police operations centre in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm and once again use this meeting room for fixing legal cases.

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Lawyer: Abdul Razak Baginda ‘is completely unimplicated’

Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent political analyst, knew the murdered Mongolian model. His lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, said he wouldn’t “go so far to say” that Abdul Razak had a relationship with Altantuya Shaariibuu, but would say that “he knows the lady.”

He said he met his client Wednesday morning and heard his side of the story. “I am extremely relieved from my conversation … I am totally convinced of his innocence .. he is completely unimplicated.” [Associated Press via International Herald Tribune]

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Anwar verdict puts Malaysia’s justice system on trial
Report by Tim Lester
ABC Online; 14 April 1999

MAXINE MCKEW: Well, to our own region now and the most publicised trial in Malaysia’s history ended today, with Anwar Ibrahim — the man once groomed to lead the nation — jailed for six years, after a judge found him guilty on four counts of corruption.

Asian leaders have joined human rights groups in denouncing the severity of the sentence. In Malaysia, there have been clashes between police and protesters in the wake of the judgment, suggesting widespread scepticism with the verdict. So, did the system succeed in catching a wayward politician, or did it dance to the tune of an opportunistic leader who wants a political enemy behind bars?

TIM LESTER: Conviction day for Anwar Ibrahim.

As his supporters took to the streets around Kuala Lumpur’s High Court, few doubted the outcome of the marathon corruption trial. For seven months now, they’ve watched Anwar battle to keep alive his shot at the country’s top job.

They’ve heard him say repeatedly the system was being used against him. Many Malaysians, perhaps most, believe it. They believe Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction was orchestrated to suit the PM and several of his close colleagues.

BRUCE GALE: There is a feeling among a large number of Malaysians that the trial wasn’t fair.

TIM LESTER: Singapore analyst Bruce Gale sees this perception — whether right or wrong — as a problem for the Mahathir Government.

BRUCE GALE: If you have large sections of the population believing that somehow the judiciary is not fair or impartial, then this is a very serious situation. It’s an undermining of a major national institution.

GURBACHAN SINGH: We could have easily shown by irrefutable evidence the involvement of several top politicians to bring Anwar Ibrahim down politically.

TIM LESTER: Among Anwar’s nine defence lawyers, there is deep frustration that many witnesses, documents, even tapes they had ready didn’t make it to evidence, because the judge wouldn’t allow them.

GURBACHAN SINGH: There was evidence of the involvement of the PM, as well, that he knew this process of political conspiracy was going on — he did nothing to stop it.

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD: I wish he hadn’t done this and he should have succeeded me and everything would be fine.

TIM LESTER: Political conspiracy — it was Anwar’s claim the moment Dr Mahathir dumped him as Deputy PM and his lawyers say it was vital to their defence of the four corruption charges. But Judge Augustine Paul ruled as irrelevant the suggestion that government ministers and officials cooked up the sex claims to ruin Anwar.

GURBACHAN SINGH: Most of the rulings where the judge could exercise discretion, went against us.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: When the trial first started, I think at least for the first two months or three, there were often times, I thought, where the judge was giving a lot of leeway to the defence.

TIM LESTER: Former prosecutor Shafee Abdullah praises Judge Paul for refusing to hear Anwar’s conspiracy argument in relation to the four corruption charges.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: Whether or not he committed those sexual offences have got nothing to do with the present charges.

TIM LESTER: So was Anwar’s trial fair?

Yes, says Shafee Abdullah. But even he admits Malaysians don’t see it that way.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: There are a lot of individuals out there who feel that the whole trial has gone completely bonkers. Many individuals think that Anwar did not receive a fair trial.

TIM LESTER: The damage from the trial goes beyond perceptions about Government influence over the judiciary to the police force.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: They hit me physically and they stripped me naked and asked me to dance in the room, with my hand handcuffed.

TIM LESTER: Anwar Ibrahim’s private secretary of 11 years was among hundreds arrested at the height of anti-government protests last year. He’s now making a disturbingly common claim in Kuala Lumpur — that police used brutality and humiliation in the hope of recruiting him as a witness against Anwar.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: Oh, yeah, they asked me to admit that I was sodomised by Anwar.

TIM LESTER: Three of five people cited in sex charges pending against Anwar have now withdrawn their claims and turned on police.

GURBACHAN SINGH: And they were picked up and forced — tortured by the police — to make allegations against Anwar, to admit to sodomy, which they repeatedly said never happened. And they’ve gone on affidavits, they’ve gone on statutory declarations to that effect.

TIM LESTER: Add in Anwar’s black eye — Malaysia’s highest-ranking officer at the time hit him while he was blindfolded and handcuffed. In the process of convicting Anwar, Malaysia’s police have earned themselves an image crisis.

Among other claims that didn’t make it to court — the Washington limousine driver who says a Malaysian embassy official asked him to accuse Anwar of sexual misconduct while visiting the US.

JAMAL AMRO: Then he asked me — he said “Relax”. Then he told me, “Anwar — did you ever bring girls for him, or boys or anything like that?”

I said, “No”.

He said “C’mon, if you say ‘Yes’, we can make some money”.

TIM LESTER: Jamal says he was told he could make more than $250,000 by going along with the sex claims against the then Deputy PM. Public anger over Anwar’s treatment has helped his wife, Wan Azizah, win backing for a new political party and an opposition alliance to fight Dr Mahathir at the next election.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: The hatred against the present leadership is swelling because they can not believe the manner they handled this issue against Anwar.

TIM LESTER: This trial and the events around it have thrown up challenges the Mahathir Government didn’t anticipate. Now, there’s the possibility of a united opposition at the next national election due within 12 months.

A powerful threat for Dr Mahathir, but it’s still not likely. The groups Anwar’s supporters need to bring together would make unusual partners.

BRUCE GALE: It seems extremely difficult for me to believe that post-election, that this alliance could hold. The policies of these parties are so diametrically opposed to one another. Islamic fundamentalists want an Islamic State. To the Chinese, this is an anathema — something they would never accept.

TIM LESTER: Many Malaysians don’t like the way their government and judicial system dealt with Anwar Ibrahim. Today’s verdict will only fuel their suspicions.

But Dr Mahathir is still in the middle ground of Malaysian politics. His enemies have a giant task — trying to bring together opposition parties into an alliance needed to capitalise on anti-government sentiment.

Oleh Dr.Syed Husin Ali

Walaupun rencana ini diterbitkan 7 tahun dahulu, tetapi masih sangat releven dengan perkembangan semasa.

Negara sudah merdeka 44 tahun, akan tetapi dalam berbagai-bagai bidang, seperti ekonomi dan politik, sebahagian besar rakyat masih belum bebas. Bahkan dari segi fikiran mengenai sejarah kemerdekaan pun, sebahagian ramai rakyat terus terkongkong, terutama oleh pelbagai “dongeng” yang sengaja dilanjutkan melalui saluran buku sekolah dan propaganda pemerintah.

Ada dua tradisi atau aliran yang jelas dalam sejarah perjuangan kemerdekaan di negeri ini, seperti di banyak negara Asia-Afrika-Amerika Latin yang pernah mengalami penjajahan jua. Tradisi pertama ialah penentangan terhadap penjajahan secara habis-habisan untuk mendapatkan kemerdekaan yang penuh. Tradisi kedua ialah berkompromi dengan penjajah sehingga sanggup menerima saki-baki sistem ekonomi, politik, perundangan dan pendidikan yang diwarisi dari penjajahan.

Di Malaysia, kedua-dua tradisi ini wujud. Akan tetapi, tradisi pertama telah berjaya dikalahkan oleh pihak penjajah British, yang kemudiannya memberi dorongan serta sokongan untuk kemenangan tradisi kedua. Pimpinan daripada tradisi kedua ini terdiri dari golongan atasan masyarakat yang memang mudah bekerjasama dengan pihak penjajah. Golongan tradisi kedua ini, selepas menang, telah menyebarkan berbagai-bagai “dongeng” tentang perjuangan untuk kemerdekaan negara. Mari kita lihat sesetengah daripada “dongeng” tersebut.

Dongeng pertama, perjuangan kemerdekaan bermula hanya selepas Perang Dunia II berikutan penentangan terhadap percubaan Mahkota British hendak memaksakan pembentukan Malayan Union. Sebenarnya, perjuangan mempertahankan kemerdekaan negara dan kedaulatan rakyat telah bermula lebih awal dari itu, dengan penentangan pembesar dan rakyat Melaka, di bawah Bendahara Paduka Raja, terhadap serangan serta penaklukan oleh Portugis pada tahun 1511.

Selepas itu, dalam abad ke-19, apabila penjajah British, dengan kerjasama sesetengah Sultan serta pembesar, berjaya mencerobohi masuk untuk menakluki Semenanjung Melayu, ramai pembesar lain telah memimpin rakyat biasa untuk bangun menentang. Di antara mereka ialah Maharaja Lela (di Perak), Tok Janggut (di Kelantan), Orang Kaya Semantan serta Mat Kilau (di Pahang), Datuk Naning (di Melaka), dan ramai lagi. Perjuangan mereka disambung oleh Abdul Rahman Limbong (di Terengganu).

Dongeng kedua, UMNO (dan Perikatan, selepas penyertaan MCA dan MIC) adalah satu-satunya yang menjayakan pergerakan untuk kemerdekaan. Ini tidak tepat. Walaupun kemerdekaan telah diserahkan oleh British kepada Perikatan (yang dipimpin UMNO), namun sebelum itu sudah ada parti dan gerakan yang merintis jalan ke puncak kemerdekaan.

Sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua telah wujud Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) dan juga Persatuan Melayu di beberapa buah negeri yang telah mula menyemai benih kemerdekaan. Tidak boleh dinafikan bahawa Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) juga memainkan peranan dalam perjuangan ini. Selepas perang itu telah tertubuh pula Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM) berserta Angkatan pemuda Insaf (API) dan Angkatan Wanita Sedar (AWAS), dan juga Hizbul Muslimin (HM).

Dalam perjuangan untuk kemerdekaan PKMM (mewakili golongan nasionalis), HM (mewakili golongan agama) disertai oleh unsur dari PKM juga, telah merapatkan kerjasama. Mereka menjadi meluas di bawah payung lebih besar yang dikenali sebagai PUTERA-AMCJA (All-Malayan Council for Joint Action), untuk memperjuangkan kemerdekaan penuh. Di antara tokoh-tokoh yang terkenal ialah Ahmad Boestamam, Dr Burhanuddin Helmy, Ishak Hj Muhammad, Abu Bakar Bakir, Abdullah C.D., John Eber dan juga Tan Cheng Lock (sebelum memimpin MCA).

Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, yang pernah menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri, sewaktu berucap di satu majlis Konvokesyen di Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), selepas dianugerahkan ijazah kehormat pada tahun 1973, telah menyatakan bahawa sumbangan golongan kiri yang diwakili oleh pertubuhan serta pimpinan yang tersebut di atas perlu diiktiraf dalam perjuangan kemerdekaan. Malangnya banyak pertubuhan ini telah diharamkan dan ramai di antara pemimpin mereka dipenjarakan oleh penjajah Inggeris. Dalam kekosongan yang timbul berikutannya, British telah menggalakkan perkembangan UMNO (dan Perikatan). Sekali lagi dua tradisi perjuangan kemerdekaan yang disebutkan di atas telah kelihatan. (more…)