Malaysia’s Moment of Sanity


By Bridget Welsh
The Wall Street Journal

Yesterday’s acquittal of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on the charge of sodomy ends two and a half years of a bad sequel. After being convicted once in 2000 on the same charge and subsequently exonerated on appeal, this time the court found that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

The decision is a moment of sanity after three years of political turmoil since the March 2008 polls. That election effectively broke the stranglehold on power of the incumbent Barisan Nasional, the National Front coalition, which lost its two-thirds majority in parliament. After the loss, the ruling United Malays National Organization seemed to go back to its mode of personal-attack politics, as practiced by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The new accusation against Mr. Anwar also signaled a return to the ways of the Mahathir era.

The acquittal is a sign that Malaysia is moving forward and a win for several key players. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak can run in the upcoming election as a reformer who has allowed the rule of law and fairness to prevail, giving him an opportunity to earn his own democratic mandate. Mr. Anwar is free to focus on leading the opposition. The judiciary can stand tall with the credit that when the final decision was reached, it was made on the basis of the evidence rather than politics. And with the closure of yet another sordid trial, Malaysia can showcase its successes rather than being endlessly associated with sex scandals.

The price the country has paid during the drawn-out trial has been high. The Mahathir mode of politics has been bringing down Malaysia’s leaders. It certainly undermined the current ones. Mr. Najib, otherwise thought to be a sound, problem-oriented leader, was tarred by the perceived brush of engaging in a political conspiracy, which he denies. Mr. Anwar’s personal reputation was hammered.

The conduct of the trial, particularly involving the submission of contradictory testimony and flawed evidence, threatened to discredit the courts. At best, the current case was a distraction. At worst, it revealed the inadequacies of moving the nation’s politics into more rational, reasoned discourse. Overall, Malaysians were being done a disservice with attention focused on gutter politics, rather than real problems.

The public’s attention will now thankfully move to the next general elections, likely to be held this year. The stakes are high given that the elections will be the most hotly contested in Malaysia’s history. Over half the seats are highly competitive. Each side is sure to use the trial for political capital, though the verdict has now made the playing field more level. The mass political support around Mr. Anwar shows that he remains a political force, with iconic charisma, tenacity and staying power. For Mr. Najib, the acquittal shows he is willing to engage his opponent in a fairer fight, and stand on his record.

That’s an improvement, considering until yesterday, the Anwar trial had served to reinforce the political base of the two camps. Mr. Anwar was channeling the attacks into anger toward Mr. Najib’s administration and Mr. Najib was consolidating support among his party, many of whom considered the best strategy for victory was to sideline the opposition leader. The polarized electorate was increasingly moving to the extremes. Both camps have been tapping into the anger and anxiety, in a politics mobilized by personal attacks.

In moving forward, both sides will be forced to change tactics and hope their bases will follow. Mr. Najib faces a particularly difficult battle of convincing the more reactionary elements of his party that he has acted in UMNO’s interests. He has to contend with those in his party who compare him unfavorably to Mr. Mahathir and mistakenly believe that the only way forward is to repeat the outdated tactics of the past. Mr. Najib has to be able to show that the acquittal was a sign of strength, rather than one of weakness. Mr. Anwar on his part has to extend his reach beyond his base, and convince skeptics that his politics is not just about his persona or about being victimized.

The battle will hinge on the middle ground, since undecided voters make up as much as 30% of the electorate. That means the government needs to focus on how to strengthen ethnic relations, create jobs, reduce income inequalities, boost wages and bring in investment, especially in this more uncertain global economy. Whoever the winner is, the acquittal opens up the ways for him to focus on Malaysia’s future, rather than endure a rerun of its political past.

Ms. Welsh, a consultant for Freedom House, teaches Southeast Asian politics at Singapore Management University.

  1. #1 by DAP man on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 11:40 am

    “The judiciary can stand tall with the credit that when the final decision was reached, it was made on the basis of the evidence rather than politics.”

    Disagree.
    It was politics that brought about the acquittal. The puppet master says “Acquit” and the judge acquits.

    Is this politics or evidence. Any reason to stand tall?

  2. #2 by lkt-56 on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 12:03 pm

    //Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak can run in the upcoming election as a reformer who has allowed the rule of law and fairness to prevail, giving him an opportunity to earn his own democratic mandate. //
    Yes. Only if he can convince us that he is not the one of those who ochestrated Sodomy II.

    //The judiciary can stand tall with the credit that when the final decision was reached, it was made on the basis of the evidence rather than politics.//

    Not strictly correct. How sure are we that the decision to acquit Anwar comes from the heart of the judge and not from some politicians.

    //The conduct of the trial, particularly involving the submission of contradictory testimony and flawed evidence, threatened to discredit the courts.//

    There is only one version of truth. In truth there is no contradiction. Lies have many versions. Each made up to cover the version that contradicts itself.

    //Both camps have been tapping into the anger and anxiety, in a politics mobilized by personal attacks.//
    That leaves the Malaysian citizens out in the cold.
    //Mr. Najib has to be able to show that the acquittal was a sign of strength, rather than one of weakness.//
    Mr. Najib has tp show us that he is sincere and stop talking with forked tongues.

    //Mr. Anwar on his part has to extend his reach beyond his base, and convince skeptics that his politics is not just about his persona or about being victimized.//
    Time is running short. Mr. Anwar and PR has to come out with a strategy to oust the regime that has lost its way.

    Last but certainly not he least important – Create as much international awareness on the the next general election in order to prevent cheating.

  3. #3 by Winston on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 1:22 pm

    Well said, No. 1 & No. 2 posts!
    Bridget Welsh has lost her marbles!
    Even an idiot will know which way the wind is blowing!
    And those in the ruling party isn’t that dumb not to have noticed!
    Don’t the author know that the ruling party is a master of the art
    of playing the good cop and the bad cop?
    Talking about naiveness!!!

  4. #4 by Loh on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 3:16 pm

    Najib is speechless with the praises heaped on him. Can he admit that he ordered the judge to acquit Anwar? If he did, then the court is still a tool for his political game to project a reformer image. It is bad. If he admits that the judge had a free hand, then it shows that all the government apparatus had been utilized to harass Anwar. Sodomy in private does not cause social problem. It did only when the government awarded the ‘sodomized whistle-blower’. How low can Najib go?

  5. #5 by dagen on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 3:28 pm

    Playing good and bad cop at the same time. Yes of course. But master at that, winston? Oh come on. Hardly. Umno’s and jib’s many attempts to play two contrasting roles were badly and incredulously executed. Any fool could tell the fact jib has “W” tongue – yeah forked tongue. One tip says black and the other tip says white. Tu umno. Tu jib.

  6. #6 by hopeful malaysian on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 4:08 pm

    Actually Im wondering whether this Bridget Welsh is on Najib’s payroll or is she plain stupid to make statements like
    ” For Mr. Najib, the acquittal shows he is willing to engage his opponent in a fairer fight..” and ” Mr. Najib has to be able to show that the acquittal was a sign of strength rather than weakness”- these imply he had a hand in the acquittal!

  7. #7 by Loh on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 6:46 pm

    hopeful malaysian :
    Actually Im wondering whether this Bridget Welsh is on Najib’s payroll or is she plain stupid to make statements like
    ” For Mr. Najib, the acquittal shows he is willing to engage his opponent in a fairer fight..” and ” Mr. Najib has to be able to show that the acquittal was a sign of strength rather than weakness”- these imply he had a hand in the acquittal!

    No, she is not. She is praising a school boy hoping that he will not be mischievous the next time around.

  8. #8 by raven77 on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 - 9:58 pm

    Altantunya and TBH…all but forgotten I guess….

    All’s well that ends well ?

  9. #9 by hvpl on Thursday, 12 January 2012 - 10:19 am

    This article need not be so long-winded.

    Suffice to say that Najib finally realised that this trial has made him an object of ridicule the longer it drags on.

    So, he simply put a stop to it and then try to concentrate on another strategy. The same way he moves from one reform agenda to the next. None have worked or will ever work.

    The only sensible comment from Bridget is that the fight is for the middle ground (fence sitters, to those more familiar with this term). But RPK has already said that many, many times. Yet, no one is listening.

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