Archive for category Anwar Ibrahim
After sodomy acquittal, Malaysia’s Anwar pressing for power
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Simon Roughneen, Correspondent | January 9, 2012
The Christian Science Monitor
Monday’s surprise acquittal of Malaysia’s opposition leader in a sodomy trial that many viewed as politically motivated eases the prospect of unrest in the multi-ethnic country, one of southeast Asia’s largest tourist draws.
The potential for trouble was highlighted by three small explosions near the courthouse on Monday morning, injuring several people, while a jubilant Anwar Ibrahim mingled with a raucous, fist-pumping crowd of several thousand supporters. Mr. Anwar, a former government insider who has been hounded by legal actions over alleged sodomy since he broke with Malaysia’s ruling party in the 1990s said, “I thank God for this great news, I am finally vindicated.”
The ruling benefits not only Anwar, who’s planning to run for prime minister in upcoming elections, but it may also help the current government burnish democratic credentials dimmed by trials like Anwar’s and the detention of other political opponents.
A guilty verdict would have shown-up the judicial system as unfair, says Greg Lopez, who studies Malaysia at Australian National University, and would have “made a martyr” out of Anwar.
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Anwar’s acquittal marks a new chapter
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Dr Lim Teck Ghee | 10 January 2012
Anwar Ibrahim, a key page in the country’s political history has been turned.
Immediate winners are of course Anwar, his family, his team of lawyers, and the opposition. For Anwar, it was not only exoneration of the sexual smear charges brought against him; it was also a victory for his political fortunes and that of Pakatan Rakyat, now reenergized, ahead of the coming elections.
As the clock winds down – much more slowly now as a result of this verdict – towards the end of the current term of the Barisan government, Anwar has quite rightly refrained from crowing over this unexpected verdict.
In his first comments to the press following the court decision, Anwar asked his supporters to concentrate on the larger reform agenda, and on fighting against corruption and ensuring the freedom of the media.
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A grave injustice avoided
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Ooi Kee Beng | January 10, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
JAN 10 — The High Court verdict on Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial must be seen as a big triumph for the three-member opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
One of the biggest challenges that it has in trying to win federal power is to convince voters that it has the leaders needed for such a change in paradigm.
And whatever the ideology of its component parties, they have to deal with the reality that a PR prime minister must come from the Malay community. Whether or not Democratic Action Party stalwart Lim Kit Siang can be accepted as deputy prime minister is one thing, but a non-Malay as top leader is still not thinkable in this time and age.
That is why so much energy had over the last few years been put by opinion makers supportive of the ruling Barisan Nasional into questioning the suitability of Anwar to become prime minister. The latest to join this choir was surprisingly blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, a one-time Anwar supporter.
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Reform or inertia? It’s gone past that by now
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Farish A. Noor | January 09, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
JAN 9 — It has been a rather long time since I have had any reason to be thankful or optimistic about where Malaysia is heading, but today I allowed myself a small helping of optimism (and I hasten to add it was a small helping) as a result of the judgement that was passed (or rather not passed) on Anwar Ibrahim.
Others have already sagely noted that it is too early to jump the gun and proclaim that Malaysia is on the path of genuine institutional reform, though I was pleased to see that the charges against Anwar were thrown out for the best of reasons, namely that there was little that could be used against the man.
Decades from now a movie might be made about the life of Anwar Ibrahim, and though he — and Malaysia — cannot be said to be an individual or country that merits such global attention it has to be conceded that very few individuals have had to go through what he has been through, along with his long-suffering family.
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After Acquittal, Malaysian Political Icon Looks to Poll
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By JAMES HOOKWAY | JANUARY 10, 2012
WSJ
KUALA LUMPUR—His unexpected acquittal on sodomy charges Monday frees Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim finally to look past his trial and on toward the country’s coming national election.
The verdict by Judge Zabidin Diah at the High Court could also warm this key Muslim nation’s relations with the U.S. as the Obama administration tries to build stronger ties across Asia. Malaysia’s government described the verdict as proof it doesn’t try to sway court decisions, a frequent accusation of Mr. Anwar and other opposition activists. Mr. Anwar himself, speaking to a swarm of television crews outside the packed courtroom, described it as a surprise and a vindication.
Now the 64-year-old opposition leader is shifting focus to the election, which must be called by March of next year. Analysts predict it will be a closely contested battle between him and Prime Minister Najib Razak for the center ground of a country that has shown a growing desire for political and economic change over the past few months.
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Anwar acquittal boosts Malaysia’s opposition
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Dr Ooi Kee Beng | 9 January 2012
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
BBC News
To the great surprise of many of his followers, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was found not guilty of the sodomy charge brought against him by a former aide.
High Court judge Zabidin Mohamad Diah declared him innocent early on Monday morning, while huge crowds gathered outside the building in support of the former deputy prime minister. The DNA samples presented by the prosecution to prove Mr Anwar’s guilt, he decided, were compromised.
The unexpected verdict may not prove that the judiciary is free of the executive, but it does show that the executive is not all-powerful.
This is also the second time Mr Anwar has been acquitted on such a charge. After being sacked as the country’s second most powerful person by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed back in September 1998, he was jailed for misuse of power for six years. Just when a consecutive nine-year jail sentence for sodomy was to be served, the Federal Court overturned the decision in 2004.
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Anwar’s acquittal and the 901 rally
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By Kee Thuan Chye | Jan 9, 2012
Malaysiakini
Anwar Ibrahim is free! Many people did not expect he would be acquitted by the High Court judge presiding over his Sodomy II trial.
In fact, the situation looked dire for Anwar when the judge ruled in May that Anwar’s alleged victim, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was a truthful and credible witness.
But now the judge feels that Saiful’s testimony is not enough to convict Anwar (left) because it is uncorroborated. More important to the judge is his uncertainty about the integrity of the DNA samples, and that is his main reason for acquitting Anwar.
Does this mean that the episode is over? No. The government can still appeal. And who knows what the outcome of the appeal might be?
I would say, however, that the government should not appeal. This would drag the case on and on again, and it’s already drained such a lot of resources – the rakyat’s money, the rakyat’s emotions – and tarnished the country’s image.
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Anwar Ibrahim Acquitted of Sodomy Charges
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012
By John Berthelsen | 9 JANUARY 2012
asiasentinel
Now what?
As thousands of supporters cheered outside the court, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was found not guilty of sodomy charges by High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah, who said “the court cannot be 100 percent certain that DNA was not contaminated.”
Under Malaysia’s system of justice, the prosecution is allowed to appeal a not-guilty verdict. Prior to the ruling, some observers in Kuala Lumpur suggested the government would do just that, which would keep Anwar tied up in legal matters for as long as another year through an expected election. Under a scenario described to Asia Sentinel several weeks ago, the government, knowing a guilty verdict would make Anwar a martyr, would opt to have the judge rule him not guilty and appeal.
“The prosecution has a month to decide whether to appeal,” said a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer. “They have to examine the decision and attempt to discover if they have grounds for an appeal. But this is Malaysian politics. You have to look at the scenario. From a legal and jurisprudential point of view, there were too many inconsistencies to warrant a conviction. But from a political point of view, anything can happen.”
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Winners and losers
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Monday, 9 January 2012
— The Malaysian Insider
Jan 09, 2012
JAN 9 — This was a verdict out of the left field. There was jubilation in the ranks of the opposition and the recrimination has already started in Umno and Perkasa.
In this politically polarised nation, The Malaysian Insider polls who can walk away from this case considered a winner and who will slink away as a loser.
Winners:
1) Anwar Ibrahim
The whole machinery of the government and ruling coalition was trained on this one man for three years. He and his family were vilified daily.
A less of a fighter would have crumbled in the face of these ferocious and nasty attacks (remember the snide comments by Messrs Najib and others at the Umno assembly) but Anwar fought back, giving as good as he received.
Today, he is still standing and possibly re-energised by this ordeal.
2) Karpal Singh and the team of defence lawyers
The veteran DAP lawyer is sometimes more bombast than anything else but he expertly navigated through the second sodomy trial, in the process shredding Saiful’s testimony, casting serious doubts on evidence and on the manner the case was handled and on the competency of the government’s Chemistry Department. Read the rest of this entry »
Second Anwar sodomy case ‘flimsier’, WSJ says
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Judiciary on Saturday, 7 January 2012
by Melissa Chi
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — In urging President Barack Obama to take a stand in democracy in the Muslim world, The Wall Street Journal today called Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy case “flimsier” than the first.
In its editorial piece, the US daily said Malaysian democracy could benefit from a sign that the US is not indifferent to Anwar’s legal ordeal or to the political system that has allowed it to continue. US interests could benefit as well, it said.
“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. Nonetheless, political observers anticipate a guilty verdict,” WSJ said today.
The verdict of Anwar’s trial will be delivered on Monday with a potential sentence involving years of jail time on sodomy charges. Read the rest of this entry »
A silent gathering?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Human Rights, Police on Saturday, 7 January 2012
— Othman Wahab
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2012
JAN 7 — Oh no, not again. In the run-up to Bersih 2.0, the Najib administration agreed to allow the demonstrators to use a stadium and then withdrew the offer after being worried that calls for free elections could lead to the overthrow of the BN government.
After Prime Minister Najib Razak realised that his handling had been an unmitigated disaster, the government gave half-hearted and lame excuses about how its offer of the Shah Alam Stadium was not accepted by Bersih 2.0 organisers.
The BN government looked weak and devoid of courage. It appeared yesterday morning that the lesson of Bersih 2.0 had been learnt when the police agreed to allow the opposition to gather near the High Court in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur on January 9 to show solidarity with Anwar Ibrahim who is facing jail time for a sodomy charge.
Fantastic, I thought, finally the government and its agents showing maturity instead of behaving fearfully in the face of legitimate democratic expression. Read the rest of this entry »
BN to suffer no matter the verdict in Anwar’s trial, says Straits Times
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Judiciary on Saturday, 7 January 2012
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.” Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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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.
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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
By Zunar
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 »
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