PAS MP for Sepang Mohamed Hanipa Maidin has asked the government to reveal the actual fees it has to pay to Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to be lead prosecutor in Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar’s Sodomy II case at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court levels.

Shafee is now spearheading a nation-wide UMNO roadshow to try to win in the court of public opinion in Anwar’s Sodomy II prosecution, as it is abundantly clear that while Shafee had won in the courts in the judiciary, he had lost in two other courts – the court of public opinion in Malaysia and the international court of public opinion.

As Malaysians taxpayers are paying Shafee for his role as lead prosecutor in Anwar’s Sodomy II case at both the Court of Appeal and Federal Court, they are entitled to know how much Shafee is costing them to put Anwar in jail for the fourth time in his 47-year public career fighting for justice, freedom, human dignity and good governance in Malaysia.

Are the services of Shafee as lead prosecutor on Anwar’s case equivalent to the remuneration of the Attorney-General for a whole year, and if so or it approximates the sum, the question arises as to why the Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail is not conducting the prosecution himself instead of privatizing it to Shafee?

Furthermore, Malaysian taxpayers are also entitled to know whether they are also paying for Shafee’s nation-wide UMNO roadshow to justify the Federal Court’s decision against Anwar, as well as to take the opportunity to carry out a vicious and vengeful campaign against Anwar, and if so, the exact full amounts or fees or whether he is rendering his services to UMNO pro bono.

In fact, the unprecedented and questionable nation-wide roadshow by Shafee raises the question whether he was public prosecutor or UMNO prosecutor in the Anwar Sodomy II prosecution.

It is most encouraging to hear sane voices both inside and outside UMNO questioning the logic, rationale and soundness of the decision of the UMNO Youth leader, Khairy Jamaluddin in organizing the unprecedented and questionable national road-show against Anwar on the Sodomy II trial featuring Shafee, as if the senior lawyer is Malaysia’s latest discovery on the national circuit for unusual or even extraordinary performances like contortions and other super-human feats.

I fully agree with UMNO Pusat Bandar Taman Chempaka branch information chief Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamalullail that the Shafee roadshow would only backfire on UMNO and would alienate even more Malaysians, especially from public reactions to Shafee’s immoral and despicable tactics to humiliate Anwar and his family when Anwar could no reply to him from Sungai Buloh prison.

Would Shafee arrange for Anwar to be present at all his stops in his nation-wide roadshow so that Anwar is afforded the opportunity to reply to all his wild allegations against him?

I fully agree with Syed Rosli that what Khairy, as the Sports Minister, should be more focused about are on problems facing the youth, such as affordable housing, cost of living, mat rempit, social problems and the country’s poor performance in sports since Khairy became minister, with Malaysia failing to obtain a gold medal in both the Commonwealth and the Asian Games.

I am glad that the de facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri has also expressed objection to the Shafee roadshow.

But when has sane and sound voices prevailed in the higher echeleons of the UMNO/BN leadership?