Archive for category Anwar Ibrahim
Southeast Asia: What to Expect in 2012
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, ASEAN on Friday, 6 January 2012
by Joshua Kurlantzick
Council on Foreign Relations, US
January 3, 2012
The year 2011 saw some of the biggest political developments in Southeast Asia in decades. Burma finally seemed poised for real change, while Thailand continued to move closer to the brink of self-immolation, as political in-fighting worsened. The United States, China, and ASEAN nations continued to raise the stakes in the South China Sea, to a point where, now, it seems unlikely anyone can back off their claims and truly sit down at the table to negotiate some kind of agreement. Singapore had its most competitive election in generations, while in Malaysia massive street protests clearly have rattled the government. Even smaller states faced political turmoil: Papua New Guinea went for weeks with two prime ministers and the potential for civil strife, before the situation was resolved.
What, then, should we expect for an encore? Here are several trends to watch: Read the rest of this entry »
109: The day we must move on
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Zairil Khir Johari on Thursday, 5 January 2012
By Zairil Khir Johari | January 05, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
JAN 5 — Three-and-a-half years ago, in line with the fad of reviving old TV drama serials such as “90210” and “Hawaii-5-O”, Malaysians were treated to a remake of a soap opera that began its first run in 1998. Though the original had been universally panned by industry critics and foreign audiences, it nevertheless enjoyed somewhat limited domestic success. Of course, it also helped that the producers of the drama also controlled every media outlet in the country.
As is the case with unimaginative remakes, the same formula is once again rehashed. And while a coterie of new characters including a young, tall and handsome antagonist was thrown into the fray in an attempt to inject some semblance of freshness, the same actor, now visibly aged, was re-casted as the reluctant protagonist.
In staying true to the spirit of the original version, Malaysians were once again treated to a roller coaster of absurd plot twists, logic-defying scenarios and draggy story arcs involving numerous sub-plots detailing tales of sordid sex, DNA manipulation and — in keeping with the times — leaked video tapes.
Read the rest of this entry »
Najib risks Malaysia’s reputation in his treatment of Anwar Ibrahim
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Foreign, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 14 December 2011
By Simon Tisdall | 13 December 2011
The Guardian
The portents do not look good for Malaysia’s opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, whose trial on highly dubious sodomy charges draws to a close this week. If Anwar is found guilty – and the trial judge seems to have made up his mind already – he will not be the only or even the most important victim of an egregious, politically suspect injustice. Malaysia’s democratic reputation will have been critically wounded, and for that outrage, Malaysians will have their prime minister, Najib Razak, to thank.
The plodding Najib’s overriding objective is winning the general election expected next year, possibly within a few months. The son of Malaysia’s second prime minister, the nephew of its third, president of the dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno), and a former defence minister, Najib was born to power and is accustomed to wielding it. As the charismatic leader of the opposition coalition, Anwar represents the biggest challenge to his continuing ascendancy.
It hardly seems coincidental that the sodomy charges were levelled at Anwar shortly after the opposition inflicted unprecedented defeats on Umno and its allies in the 2008 elections. Anwar’s main campaign plank – combating the official, institutionalised discrimination that favours ethnic Malays over the country’s large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities – threatened the post-colonial order that has kept Umno and its National Front coalition on top since 1957.
Read the rest of this entry »
Start of another new round of political persecution of Anwar most deplorable and despicable
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Razak, Police on Friday, 11 November 2011
The start of another new round of political persecution of Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is most deplorable and despicable and must be condemned by all right-thinking Malaysians.
The police calling up Anwar to give his statement with regard to the report lodged by a police officer DSP S. Shanmuga Moorthy claiming that Anwar had knowingly given him false information concerning the “Datuk T” sex tape and thereby committing an offence under Section 182 of the Penal Code (punishable by six-month jail or fine of RM2,000) is clearly politically-motivated and masterminded by the political masters of the police.
This is another example why the police have not been able to regain public confidence in its efficiency and integrity as an independent, impartial, professional and democratic police force which would not allow itself to become the catspaw and playthings of the “political masters” but would fully dedicated itself to its national mission to protect the personal safety and security of Malaysians and all persons in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Election date?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Najib Razak, Zunar on Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Judicial tribunal for AG and Ct of Appeal judge
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Budget Debate, Constitution, Good Governance, Judiciary, Law & Order, Parliament on Monday, 17 October 2011
b) Judicial tribunal into serious allegations of graft and abuse of power against Attorney-General Abdul Ghani Patail
In the past few months, many serious allegations of graft and abuse of power had been made against the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail notably by the former Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Mat Zain Ibrahim in a series of open letters, former MACC panel member Tan Sri Robert Phang and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.
These allegations included falsifying facts and evidence in Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s infamous “black eye” incident in 1998, the graft case against Shahidan Shafie and the judicial abuses in the Altantunya Shaaribuu murder trial.
Unless Gani Patail take legal action against these allegations, the Prime Minister should set up a tribunal to clear the name of the Attorney-General as these are very serious allegations which if unrebutted can only undermine public confidence in the professionalism, independence and integrity of the Attorney-General but also key national institutions, including the judiciary, the police and the MACC. Read the rest of this entry »
You should be afraid, Najib
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday, 18 September 2011
— Tan Teck Huat
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 18, 2011
SEPT 18 — One of the more amusing articles that I have read recently was the story about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak telling his Umno members yesterday that he was not afraid of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition leader.
Najib said that he was willing to debate Anwar or something along those lines.
The PM must be one of those people who say they are not fixated with something yet spend an inordinate amount of time talking or paying attention to that person “who they are not afraid of”.
If he is not afraid of Anwar, why bring up the name at all? Read the rest of this entry »
The Economist says well done Najib but…
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Razak, NEP on Saturday, 17 September 2011
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 17, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — The influential international newspaper The Economist has praised Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his move to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) and other controversial security laws but points out that he will have to abolish “institutionalised ethnic discrimination” before he can assume the mantle of a radical reformer.
The extreme right-wing of Umno is expected to go along with the sweeping legislative changes as long as it does not touch on ethnic quotas and divisions, the newspaper said in an opinion published in its popular Banyan column yesterday.
“It is the system of ethnic quotas and divisions that is really holding the country back — if Mr Najib started to take an axe to all that, then absolutely nobody would question his credentials as a radical reformer,” the newspaper wrote. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Evidence fabricated in Anwar’s corruption trial’
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Judiciary, Mahathir, Najib Razak, Police on Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Malaysiakini
Sep 12, 11
Anwar Ibrahim’s 1999 conviction for abuse of power was wrong as the prosecution had concocted evidence and cheated through the actions of then investigating officer Musa Hassan and then lead prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail.
This was revealed in another open letter, sent to Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar today, by former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim.
Mat Zain states that Musa and Gani had done this for their joint benefit. Both had risen in ranks, with Musa becoming the police chief and Gani, the attorney-general. Musa retired recently.
“It is not wrong to say the jail term Anwar faced is an injustice to him as a result of both their (Musa’s and Gani’s) actions. I am basing this argument on documentary evidence and statements that I have and are within my knowledge,” he said in the letter.
“I am also saying this because there are important statements made by (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Chapter 53 of his memoirs ‘Doctor in the House’ on the black eye incident, and the actions by the public prosecutor are different from what I have in the official case files of 1998.
“I believe that Mahathir was given a wrong briefing and he had been manipulated.” Read the rest of this entry »
Mat Zain: Musa, Gani duped Dr M into sacking Anwar
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Mahathir, Police on Monday, 12 September 2011
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysia Insider
Sep 12, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — A former senior police officer today claimed that Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had fabricated evidence against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, leading to his sacking from government by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998.
Former city criminal investigation chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim claimed in an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police today that Musa, who was then Bukit Aman’s assistant criminal investigation chief, had stolen Anwar’s DNA to ensure that the sacked deputy prime minister would be convicted of sodomy.
“I believe this happened because Tun was given information or a briefing that was manipulated and misleading,” said the policeman who led the 1998 probe into the black eye inflicted on Anwar by then police chief Tan Sri Rahim Noor.
Mat Zain based his claim on “documentary evidence and statements that I have and are within my knowledge” as well as Dr Mahathir’s memoirs that were released earlier this year. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar’s unsworn statement an indictment of Malaysia’s political, justice systems
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Tuesday, 23 August 2011
by Ramli Zain
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 22, 2011
AUG 22 — By making an unsworn statement from the dock today in his sodomy trial, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has now put the whole country, its judiciary, the media and our entire justice system on trial.
More than that, he has given notice to politicians like Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other players in his prosecution that he intends to place them on trial as well.
Whether one agrees with this move or not, the message is clear.
Sodomy II is no longer about whether he is guilty of sodomising his aide — if it ever was in the first place — but will now be an attack against the political and justice system which he claims has conspired to put him in this position. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar: “I categorically deny the charge against me.”
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Monday, 22 August 2011
DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI DI KUALA LUMPUR
DALAM WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN
PERBICARAAN JENAYAH NO: 45-9-2009
PENDAKWA RAYA
LAWAN
DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM
STATEMENT FROM THE DOCK
My name is Anwar bin Ibrahim. I am the leader of the Opposition in Parliament. In the 1990s, I was the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister until September 1998 when then Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad sacked me after I had refused to resign. He had told me to resign or face dire consequences including criminal prosecution for alleged sexual and corruption offences. I refused and all hell broke loose. My unceremonious and grossly unjust dismissal simultaneously orchestrated with a trial by media under Mahathir’s complete control triggered mass and widespread demonstrations throughout the country and launched the movement for change and reform known in our history as the Reformasi era.
After a series of show trials during which every rule in the book on evidence and criminal procedure was violated with impunity at the hands of the prosecution and the courts, I was convicted and sentenced to a total of 15 years.
THE CHARGE AGAINST ME
First and foremost, I categorically deny the charge against me. I want to state in no uncertain terms that I have never had any sexual relations with the complainant Mohamed Saiful. His allegation is a blatant and vicious lie and will be proved to be so. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar has the right to face his accusers and question them is an inalienable right in a court of law
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Friday, 12 August 2011
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor
It is common knowledge that the accused person in a criminal case has the right to face his accusers and to question them in a court of law.
However laudable it is that Anwar Ibrahim has been given permission to face his accusers/witnesses in a court of law, it is disappointing that Anwar was not allowed to question the witnesses and must remain silent in court.
This is unusual and runs contrary to established practice, where the accused is permitted to confront his accusers/witnesses and to ask them questions.
In most countries, the law has a Confrontation Clause where in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to be confronted with the witnesses against him, and the defendant usually has a right to cross examine the witnesses.
Read the rest of this entry »
Thousands throng ‘Bersih 3.0′ ceramah in Penang
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Bersih, Lim Guan Eng, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Susan Loone
Malaysiakini
Jul 12, 11
They have been accused of hijacking the July 9 rally as calls of ‘reformasi’ – PKR’s battle cry – reverberated on the streets of Kuala Lumpur instead of cries of ‘Bersih’ for electoral reforms.
Yet more than 5,000 turned up to throw a hero’s welcome for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and PAS deputy chief Mohamad Sabu at the Seberang Jaya Expo site last night, a ceramah which the latter described as ‘Bersih 3.0′.
Both leaders, who arrived within 20 minutes of each other, made a grand entrance – Anwar entered sporting a neck brace and had to assisted as he headed for the stage, while Mohamad was in a wheelchair and was hauled up onto the platform by several security personnel. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Tear gas gun aimed directly at Anwar’
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Bersih, Police on Tuesday, 12 July 2011
S Pathmawathy
Malaysiakini
Jul 12, 11
The police stood prepared with their anti-riot weapons, with one of them aiming his tear gas gun at Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. That’s what his bodyguard Fayyadh Afiq saw, and he immediately took action.
As he heard the order to fire, Fayyadh said he pulled Anwar away.
Numbed by high dosages of medication, he said his left cheek, on which a metal gas canister landed when the police fired, has not stopped throbbing. Read the rest of this entry »
Something rotten at the Duta courts
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Judiciary on Sunday, 26 June 2011
by Hafiz Yatim
Malaysiakini
Jun 25, 11
Shakespeare wrote in the play ‘Hamlet’ that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. Court of Appeal judge NH Chan had also made similar remarks when he wrote the Ayer Molek Rubber Co Bhd vs Insas Bhd judgment in 1995, where he described the case he was presiding over as being about an injustice perpetrated by a court of law.
Can yesterday’s conviction of the infamous ‘Datuk T’ trio be said a travesty of justice deserving the local version that goes “something is rotten in Duta courts” resulting in possibly another charge looming over Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim? Read the rest of this entry »
Karpal: Public porn screening in court ‘a first’
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Judiciary on Saturday, 25 June 2011
Malaysiakini
Jun 25, 11
Karpal Singh slammed the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate Court’s handling of the Datuk T proceedings yesterday for showing the sex video to the public and for allowing Anwar to be implicated in his absence.
“This is the first time in legal history of the country that a pornographic video clip produced as an exhibit in court has been played on two big screens, one facing them magistrate and the other the public gallery,” said the Bukit Gelugor MP and veteran lawyer in a statement today.
Karpal said in such situations the public gallery would always be cleared.
While he agreed that as a fundamental element of the charge against the Datuk T trio, the screening had to be done in the presence of the magistrate and relevant parties, and this should not include the public. Read the rest of this entry »
Question of efficiency, independence and professionalism of AGC and Police haunting Malaysia’s international image in a bigger way than any time in the past
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Crime, Law & Order, Najib Razak, Police on Friday, 24 June 2011
Two days after the Sri Carcosa sex tape caper on Monday, 21st March 2011, I had warned that police efficiency, independence and professionalism were again the major casualties of the latest criminal attempt to target and character-assassinate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
My warning of March 23 has proven true. More than three months after my warning, the questions of the efficiency, independence and professionalism of the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Police have bulked even larger to haunt Malaysia’s international image in a bigger way than at any time in the past in the nation’s history.
The farce this morning in the magistrate’s court where the “Datuk T” trio were charged for the Sri Carcosa sex tape screening has only served to further lower public confidence and esteem in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of the Attorney-General and the Police.
Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia bored by drawn-out sex trial of opposition leader
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Politics on Wednesday, 8 June 2011
By Julia Yeow
Jun 8, 2011 | M&C News
Kuala Lumpur – The sex trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has become a bore-fest for a worn-out audience, despite having all the makings of a highly charged scandal, full of sordid details of illicit dalliances, accusations of lies and conspiracies.
When Anwar, 63, was initially charged with sodomizing his 25-year-old male aide in 2008, local and international media were clamouring to get the details as an eager public soaked in what one paper called the scandal of the decade.
What heightened the interest was that it wasn’t the first time fingers were being pointed at Anwar, a married father of six and grandfather to two.
In 1998, Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and subsequently found guilty of sodomizing his former driver and using his position to cover it up. Even if consensual this sexual act is illegal in Malaysia.
He was jailed, but released six years later after a higher court overturned his convictions. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar applies for a new trial on sodomy charge
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Thursday, 2 June 2011
By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng | Jun 2, 11
Malaysiakini
Just four days before Anwar Ibrahim begins his defence against the sodomy charge, he has applied to replace the current Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah with a new judge to rehear his trial.
Anwar claimed that Zabidin had prejudged and demonstrated bias in ruling that the prosecution had made a prima facie case against him.
This ruling denied him of a fair trial, which is guaranteed by article 5(1) of the federal constitution, said the opposition leader in his application filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Read the rest of this entry »
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