By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) will come under attack whether or not Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty in Monday’s verdict in the opposition leader’s two-year-long sodomy trial, according to the Singapore Straits Times.
The Singapore daily said in an analysis today that whatever the High Court’s decision, “there is likely to be some blowback for the Najib administration.”
The analysis said if the PKR de facto leader is found guilty and therefore disqualified as a candidate in the elections, “the question then would be whether the judge denies bail pending an appeal, depriving the opposition of its most charismatic campaigner in the poll run-up.”
It added if he is acquitted, “attacks against the government could be blunted” but “Anwar’s supporters, who have maintained that there should never have been a trial to begin with, could claim vindication, setting off more discontent.”
“How the trial outcome will impact public opinion will determine the election timing. We are hoping for the best from a set of not-so-pretty scenarios,” the Straits Times quoted a senior Umno official it says is close to the prime minister.
It also quoted Ibrahim Suffian, programme director of opinion pollster Merdeka Center, as saying that “the Anwar issue is just one of many poles of dissent confronting the nation.”
“So, no matter how this trial goes there will be a knock-on effect that is bound to hurt sentiment towards the government,” he said.
Anwar is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28, 2008, an allegation he says is a conspiracy to end his political career.
The former deputy prime minister was freed from jail in 2004 after the Federal Court overturned a previous sodomy conviction, allowing him to lead a loose opposition alliance in the landmark 2008 election that denied BN its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The Straits Times wrote today that the conduct of the trial has raised many questions from Malaysians.
“Pro-government commentators have consistently taken issue with Anwar’s refusal to take the stand or be cross-examined.
“The prosecution has received its share of criticism too. Its introduction of conflicting testimonies from doctors, who examined Anwar’s accuser for sexual abuse, and the handling of DNA samples by investigators have been roundly ridiculed,” the analysis said.
#1 by yhsiew on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 11:56 am
There are gay MPs in the BN coalition according to Wikileaks. Shouldn’t they be investigated and prosecuted as well?? The BN government cannot adopt double standards and selectively prosecute a member of the opposition party.
#2 by boh-liao on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 12:07 pm
After 901, ful of sai will get his scholarship n senatorship, Lord of d Shole
#3 by Godfather on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 12:15 pm
If they find him guilty AND deny him bail, then PR actually has a better chance in GE13. Those who have reservations that this whole thing was orchestrated from the beginning will have their reservations removed. Our stance on the true “independence” of the judiciary will have been vindicated.
#4 by Godfather on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 12:15 pm
Victory will be all the more sweeter when we triumph against all the odds.
#5 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 1:05 pm
In Life on cannot decide correctly all the time. If at 1st instance it were for whatever reasons thought correct to charge Anwar there is no iron clad compunction to go all the way leading to conviction even where it becomes apparent that its political costs outweigh the benefit. There must always exist flexibility and an exit if one were on the wrong route, “gostan” so to speak if after embarking on a journey one finds midway it’s heading towards a cliff. There is no such thing of an absence of choices. A dilemma is facing two unpalatable choices and the logical is to weigh and take the less palatable painful and costly of the two.
#6 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 1:26 pm
As I said before the issue here is not just how courts of law and legally trained persons review the conduct of the case by closely examining its intricate play of evidence and technicalities but the lay public who look in broad strokes. Here the battle is for the Court of Public Opinion, both domestic and international! Sodomy I ended in a considerable shift of Malay/Muslim votes from UMNO to PAS because the action was seen humiliating a Malay leader to collective loss of self esteem. According to prestigious WSJ’s latest comment reported by TheMalaysianInsider (Melissa Chi) January 07, 2012, “The current case is even flimsier than the last one It is based mainly on the word of one accuser who as it so happened had met with then-deputy prime minister now Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak days before the alleged incident “Doctors at two hospitals could find no evidence of rape in the aftermath of the alleged incident”.
#7 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 1:27 pm
I wish to add 3 more anomalies top what WSJ commented: (1) it is extraordinary to convict a man for an offence of consensual sodomy when the chief and only witness’s credibility is impugned by his consistent stand that he was raped, deviating from the very charge that his testimony was support (2) instead of proving by evidence of penetration, the unusual belakang way of using DNA/semen samples was resorted to and at that degraded samples from a person confirmed to have received from multiple donors; and (3) no one else (but opposition head) is prosecuted under this archaic law of consensual sodomy where all other sodomy cases in both Singapore and Malaysia are either underage or prosecuted under another section implicating rape/force and always in conjunction with other offences of robbery burglary and causing hurt committed at the same time.….These in aggregate infer political motivation that should not colour prosecution decision. That’s how a layman will look at the issue in broad strokes.
#8 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 1:37 pm
It was also reported in the MalaysianInsider Jan 7 that with an eye on the coming GE and especially the younger voters, the PM in an appreciation dinner for media called on UMNO not to dwell on past successes because “those born post-independence didn’t experience the past they only want to know what Umno is going to do today and in the future…”
In that context what more if intentions behind Sodomy I have proven failure by its results, would it be sensible now to repeat Sodomy II and carry it to conclusion relying on past failure to try achieve the present success of same intention, especially in light of the various anomalies earlier highlighted, the Court of Domestic & International Public Opinion will more likely incline to think of political motivation divesting the exercise of its moral legitimacy based on normal law enforcement??? Its only helping PAS to set up a theocracy faster!
#9 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 1:58 pm
It will be a knock out punch to Najib…regardless what the verdict is..on Monday….for Anwar.
Malaysians will be the million upon million boxers.
Best advise is …Najib better knock himself out ….like a crooked security guard crook.. shooting himself…letting his gang escape.
#10 by Taikohtai on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:07 pm
When friendly parties of the ruling BN start taking a more neutral stance, it can only mean one thing: that Pakatan is growing stronger each day.
Now even Singapore is trying to pre-empt its options in case Pakatan becomes the next government. LKY may not like it but it would be worse if they are caught off-side with their pants down if they back the wrong horse.
Same argument goes for Vincent Tan who is now Penang friendly.
But BN backed vehicles including Utusan, Star etc shall all be facing hard times after the fall of UMNO. Pakatan is sure to even out the playing field and kill off monopolies. I am sure more prince charmings will be on the way to woo Pakatan as GE13 draws nearer.
#11 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:08 pm
The day Najib came out with Sodomy2…was the day…he made Malaysians choose where to stand clearly.
Jail or free man…Anwar will be PM.
#12 by boh-liao on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:10 pm
2012: Two OBVIOUS changes – RPK n Dr HA hv bcome FAVOURITE sons of UmnoB/BN n msm
#13 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:13 pm
it seems UMNO b dirty politics have no limits…and that’s the sign of desperate politicians clinging to power….avoid corruption charges.
If there were no massive corruptions..Najib will say…”May the best man win”
But because he is so guilty…he is saying..”I will defend PutraJaya with my life…”
Why so dramatic?
#14 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:14 pm
Najib should say….’May the best man win’
Instead he said…”I will defend PutraJaya with my life”
Why so dramatic?
#15 by Loh on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 2:49 pm
The court is supposed to uphold rule of law and to deter what ought not to be encouraged. But the present case confirms that prostitution is the best paid transaction with the right sponsor. The anus can sink the government.
#16 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 5:04 pm
Nasjib talk sheeeet..use sheeet to bring down a political opponent….he will eat sheeeet meals …sooner or later.
#17 by monsterball on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 5:05 pm
There I beat the moderator……….hahahahahaha
#18 by shakarul on Saturday, 7 January 2012 - 9:01 pm
Najib, you will fail miserably in Sodomy II. I think your “crushed body and lost life” tactic would be more crafty as it would scare the hell of some Indian or Chinese apeh.
How on earth could you convince most rakyats Sodomy II was not a conspiracy in view of the fact that Saiful (an ordinary citizen) met
you (DPM) one day before he was allegedly sodomised by Anwar.
#19 by Joshua on Sunday, 8 January 2012 - 11:30 am
the whole nation and the people already suffering under BN and PR whether we like it or not?
#20 by mendela on Sunday, 8 January 2012 - 1:56 pm
With Jib engaging world heavy weight public relation companies like Apco to win election, wonder what PR is doing to counter BN acts?
Surely visiting the big GLC like Proton ( yesterday) and Telecom ( next week) and giving them goodies by Jib are advices from such PR companies. Such GLCs each has 20 plus thousands of employees. If adding their family members, you may easily find each GLCs may contribute 100
Thousands of votes to BN !