Archive for category Anwar Ibrahim
Key political risks to watch in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Corruption, Economics, Elections, Islam, Najib Razak, nation building, NEM, Sarawak, UMNO on Sunday, 3 October 2010
Oct 1, 10
Reuters/Malaysiakini
Malaysia has unveiled ambitious plans to boost its economy by mobilising hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment, although questions remain over whether the money will materialise.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cut in fuel, gas and sugar subsidies in August triggered a political backlash that may see him holding off more reforms ahead of the next general elections due by 2013.
Najib has pledged to reform the country’s subsidy bill to tackle the budget deficit. But he is wary of upsetting the country’s majority ethnic Malays, a critical votebank whose support will be vital as he tries to revive his ruling coalition which was hit by record losses in general elections in 2008.
Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:
Political conflict
Political tensions spiked after the 2008 general election when unprecedented opposition gains transformed the political landscape. BN coalition’s 52-year grip on the country was dented when it ceded control of five states and lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority to an opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The political uncertainty has weighed on foreign investment with net portfolio and direct investment outflows reaching US$61 billion (RM188 million) in 2008 and 2009 according to official data. Money has since flowed into the bond market according to central bank statistics, but little has flowed into equities.
What to watch:
• Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial. Anwar says the case is a political conspiracy, and a contentious verdict would anger his supporters. Any marked increase in political tensions could see more foreign money pulled from stocks, bonds and the ringgit. But with limited foreign portfolio investment still in the country, the impact will be muted.
• Elections in the Borneo state of Sarawak, expected by the end of this year. The state’s chief minister has directed the ruling coalition to ready itself for state-wide polls, and analysts say nationwide elections could follow soon after. BN’s shock defeat in a May by-election in Sarawak raised doubts over its support levels in the state. Read the rest of this entry »
International deluge of criticisms on persecution of Anwar
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Economics, Foreign, Najib Razak, NEM on Tuesday, 28 September 2010
By Dr. Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor
International deluge of criticisms from the conspiracy to convict Anwar of sodomy 2
Suddenly there appears to be a deluge of international personalities criticising the Malaysian government for persecuting Anwar on trumped up charge of sodomy 2.
It started with ex US vice president Gore, and IMF chief Stiglitz, followed by Barry Wain former AWSJ correspondent as well as a former US ambassador to Malaysia John Croft
All of them unanimously condemned the conspiracy to paint Anwar as a sodomist and therefore not fit to be the Opposition Leader.
These are all distinguished members of the international community who are shocked in unison by this serious transgression of justice, democracy and the rule of law by the Malaysian government. UMNO, the power behind the prime minister, intends to perpetuate their power by trying Anwar on trumped up charges of sodomy, to convict and imprison him, thus denying him the opportunity to be the next Prime Minister.
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The knockout punch Najib failed to deliver
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Sabah, Sarawak on Friday, 17 September 2010
Wong Choon Mei
Malaysia Chronicle
Friday, September 17, 2010
The much longed-for recognition for Malaysia Day finally came in the form of a public holiday for the entire nation, but it failed to do anything to shore up the political position or the popularity of Prime Minister Najib Razak and his BN coalition.
And for this Najib has to take the blame. Not only has he been hiding behind glitzy public relations that do nothing but burn a hole in taxpayers’ pockets, even his Malaysia Day message was laughed at by the people for perceived cowardice. For while the 57-year old Najib disavowed ‘extremism’ in his speech, he took great care to do it as vaguely as possible so that no one knew what he was talking about or was referring to. Intentional or not, the end result was that no one took him seriously. And that is serious. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar Ibrahim again battles dubious sex charges
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday, 28 August 2010
by Mark MacKinnon
Globe and Mail
Aug. 27, 2010
Prosecution appears to be thinly veiled attempt to ruin Malaysian opposition leader’s reputation and political career
There is an uncomfortable pattern to life for Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic leader of Malaysia’s opposition. In 1998, shortly after he quit the authoritarian government of Mahathir bin Mohamad, he was convicted and jailed on trumped-up sodomy charges.
Six years after that conviction was quashed and he was released from prison – and just as it looked like he and his multi-ethnic coalition might finally oust the long-ruling United National Malays Organization from office – Mr. Anwar finds himself trapped in the most awkward of reruns, once more accused of “consensual intercourse against the order of nature.”
The charges again look to be a thinly veiled attempt to ruin Mr. Anwar’s reputation and sabotage his political career in this Muslim-majority country. The trial to date – dubbed “Sodomy II” in Malaysia’s unsubtle government-controlled press – has produced a succession of lurid headlines about lubricant tubes and stained underwear, while Mr. Anwar and his lawyers have been denied the right even to see the medical records of the man with which he is alleged to have had anal sex.
But instead of letting the scandalous court proceedings force him to the sidelines, the eternally optimistic Mr. Anwar has been using good humour and his ever-present BlackBerry to turn even the most awkward of headlines to his advantage, holding up the charges against him as proof of the absurdity of the system he’s trying to change. Read the rest of this entry »
Rebuttal to Josh Treviño on Anwar Ibrahim’s Trial
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Wednesday, 11 August 2010
by Azeem Ibrahim
Research Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School’s International Security Program
August 10, 2010
In Malaysia, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been put on trial for sodomy. In the main, the Western political establishment is skeptical about the trial, believing it to be a politically motivated attempt to remove the popular opposition leader from the political scene before he can take power. As is the Malaysian public. Only 11 percent believe the charge, and 88 percent think it’s a political conspiracy.
Public Relations professional Joshua Treviño has been on “attack-Anwar” mode lately, authoring several pieces in recent months critiquing Anwar and questioning his credibility in the West. In his most recent piece, Treviño doesn’t come right out and say that the trial is genuine, but he does try to give a few reasons as to why we should question the conventional wisdom that the trial is merely a political maneuver to get rid of Anwar. Those reasons fall short. Let us look at them one by one.
In the article Treviño argues that Anwar’s relative popularity in the West is based on the mistaken impression that he shares many of the West’s political values.
But Anwar is popular in the West because he has consistently called for democracy, good governance, accountability, and dialogue of civilizations. Compare this to the current Prime Minister, or any of his predecessors, who have said relatively little about such things in Malaysia and done even less to reform a system saddled with endemic corruption. Read the rest of this entry »
Denying Anwar Natural Justice
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Dr. Chen Man Hin, Judiciary, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 10 August 2010
By Dr Chen Man Hin
IT IS NATURAL JUSTICE FOR ANWAR IBRAHIM TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALL EVIDENCE IN SODOMY 2 TRIAL
Denial of clinical evidence from Anwar Ibrahim to defend himself to face a charge of sodomy is a denial of natural justice for Anwar. Before this, he was also denied of evidence several times on previous occasions in the course of the trial.
In any trial, any one charged with a crime, surely has a right to ask his accuser (the prosecution) to produce the evidence. To deny the accused of the so called charge is surely a denial of natural justice for the accused.
This is substantiated by a clause in the INTERNATIONAL COVENANT IN CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS passed by the United Nations, ‘which guarantees the accused the right to have adequate time and facilities to the preparation of defence. Article 14 (3) (6) of the Covenant guarantees that legal representation of the defendant should have access to all relevant material and evidence.’
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Malaysia’s Opposition on Trial
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Anwar Ibrahim could be headed to prison again on trumped up charges. We urge the U.S. government to speak out on his behalf.
By AL GORE AND PAUL WOLFOWITZ | Wall Street Journal
We come from opposite sides of the political spectrum and disagree about a great many things. However, one issue that brings us together is the case of Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia who is now leader of the political opposition in that country.
Mr. Anwar has been charged under very dubious circumstances with sodomy, a criminal offense under Malaysian law. If convicted, he faces a possible 20-year sentence—effectively life in prison for a man of 63. His trial, scheduled to resume next week, threatens not just Mr. Anwar but all those in Malaysia who have struggled for a freer and more democratic nation. It is also important for the rest of the world, because it casts a troubling shadow over the future of a nation that should be a model for other Muslim countries.?
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Anwar insists PAS-Umno talks will never take place
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS, UMNO on Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Malaysian Insider
July 28, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has nixed the chance of unity talks ever taking place between his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ally PAS and the ruling coalition’s Umno, even without being stonewalled by the Islamist party’s Spiritual Adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) Malay party has long viewed Nik Aziz as the main stumbling block towards achieving bi-party unity and political cooperation, an idea that has repeatedly cropped up post Election 2008.
“PAS maintains its stand it will not cooperate with Umno based on its past experiences and without being backed by principles.
“PAS leaders also reject this cooperation,” Anwar was reported saying during a visit to Kumpulan Media Karangkraf yesterday.
The PKR de facto chief added that Umno did not understand PAS; noting the grand old Malay party thought “if they can capture Nik Aziz, they would be able to control PAS.” Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia’s Bridge is Falling Down
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, UMNO on Wednesday, 21 July 2010
By Thor Halvorssen and Alex Gladstein | The Huffington Post
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia–The farcical trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim resumes this week in Kuala Lumpur. This is the second time that the country’s ruling establishment has tried to destroy Anwar’s career with trumped-up allegations of sodomy. It succeeded 12 years ago, when he was imprisoned for six years on similar charges. Now Anwar faces up to 20 years in jail and whipping if convicted.
Controlled by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) since independence and now led by the increasingly autocratic Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Malaysian government knows Anwar is the only viable threat to its half-century of rule. Anwar became a risk to the government as deputy prime minister in 1998 when he began attacking corruption and calling for reform. Ultimately he became leader of the opposition.
Najib’s UMNO is trying to jail Anwar again in hopes of crushing his People’s Justice Party (PKR). A secular Muslim party, PKR leads a diverse political coalition with ethnic Chinese and Islamist partners. If Anwar is neutralized, this opposition movement would be paralyzed.
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Can Najib guarantee safety of ex-RMAF sergeant Thamendran while awaiting trial of theft of two jet-fighter engines?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Corruption, Court, Defence, Law & Order, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 20 July 2010
It is another international infamy for Malaysia that former RMAF sergeant N. Tharmendran, 42, feels comparatively safer in Sungai Buloh prison while he awaits trial for the theft of two jet-fighter engines than to be out of jail.
It was only 11 days ago he was freed when he and his family successfully waged a six-month battle to reduce his RM150,000 bail to RM50,000.
It is a terrible indictment on the system of governance in Malaysia that a person should feel safer in prison custody than to be out as a free man, for fear of being abducted and tortured again by military intelligence officers, as Tharmendran had alleged that he had been previously detained and tortured by military intelligence for three weeks and the “favourite torture” was to make him wear a crash helmet where he was repeatedly hit as hard as possible.
Thamendran’s personal safety and welfare while he awaits trial for theft of two jet-fighter engines has again put national and international focus on “institutional degradation” which the New Economic Model had identified as one of the causes of Malaysia’s economic stagnation and “declining growth trajectory”.
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What Anwar’s Trial Means For Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, 20 July 2010
The trial of Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s opposition leader and his nation’s best-known and most respected international figure, is scheduled to resume this week in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian press dubs the affair “Sodomy II,” for it appears to be a repeat of the Muslim democrat’s 1998-99 trials, when he was convicted on corruption and sexual charges. Sentenced to 15 years in prison, Mr. Anwar later had his conviction overturned, and he was released after six years in solitary confinement.
I was the U.S. ambassador to Malaysia when Mr. Anwar first was arrested and put on trial, and everything I knew then and know now leads me to conclude that this trial also is an attempt to sideline him politically.
Already convicted by the government-controlled media, Mr. Anwar and his defense team have been denied access to the evidence that the government possesses, including police and medical reports, surveillance tapes, and even the witness list. Malaysia does not have a jury system. The verdict will be rendered by one judge, appointed by the same government that wants to remove Mr. Anwar from the political scene.
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Anwar denied right to counsel at panel hearing
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Parliament on Tuesday, 8 June 2010
By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee has summarily rejected Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s application to allow his counsel to attend his hearing on the APCO-Israel issue today.
Committee members Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) and R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) told a press conference in Parliament after the panel concluded its meeting that the decision was made after the votes were taken from the members.
“Anwar Ibrahim (picture) has been denied counsel. He cannot appear with counsel.
“The decision was made whereby I and Subang (Sivarasa) were against it while all four Barisan Nasional committee members were for it.
“The vote was not unanimous,” said Karpal.
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A foregone conclusion
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Parliament on Friday, 23 April 2010
By P Ramakrishnan President of Aliran
The decision to refer Anwar Ibrahim to the Rights and Privileges Committee did not come as a surprise to Malaysians. It was a foregone conclusion. Even before the debate began in Parliament, the outcome was very obvious.
The whole issue had descended into “Get your enemy at all cost – forget about justice and fair play.” In a game of numbers, there is no need to be moral about what you do. Just nail him. You have the numbers to achieve that!
The Rights and Privileges Committee – according to what Malaysians tend to believe – would find Anwar guilty and suspend him. His removal from Parliament would spare them from Anwar’s scathing attacks and more embarrassing revelations that would put them in a spot.
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The Labu and Labi Team of Najib and Muhyiddin (Part 3)
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Bakri Musa, Mahathir, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak on Monday, 12 April 2010
By M. Bakri Musa
(Third of Four Parts)
The Ugly and Dysfunctional Mahathir-Anwar Pair
As leader, Mahathir is essentially a one-man team, a loner. He exhibits the typical alpha-male monkey mode. An alpha monkey could tolerate other males in the colony only if they were to submit to him, or be seen doing so. Any hint of a non-deferring behavior or “dissing” would be dealt with quickly until the challenger is either driven out or fatally finished off. Such leaders have little use for a deputy, partner, or a team. Instead he needs a sidekick, in the manner of a Jim McMahon to Johnny Carson; someone to make the leader looks good and be the butt of his jokes.
Consider Mahathir’s relationship with his first deputy, Musa Hitam. It went well so long as Musa deferred to Mahathir, that is, by being submissive. In the beginning, Musa was exactly that. The moment he began to assert himself or received more attention than Mahathir, it marked the beginning of the end for Musa.
The same dynamics governed Mahathir’s relationship with his third deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. Like Musa, Anwar was only too willing to be Mahathir’s sidekick and to humor him, at least initially. And why not; Anwar was handsomely rewarded, as seen by his rapid ascent in the party and government. Mahathir never viewed Anwar as a threat seeing that he was very much younger and thus could patiently bide his time. That scenario would have successfully played out to the end had Anwar not succumb to the impatient goading of his many impatient and greedy supporters.
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Call for RCI to conduct full inquiry on whether Israeli agents had infiltrated Bukit Aman
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Parliament, Police on Saturday, 10 April 2010
DAP calls for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry comprising respected, eminent and independent-minded Malaysians to conduct a full inquiry on whether Israeli agents had infiltrated Bukit Aman.
It is downright ridiculous and an international joke to have four agencies probing into the same matter, as announced by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday, namely the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Security Council and a parliamentary select committee.
I just could not believe that Hishammuddin could make such an outrageous announcement, totally lacking in seriousness about a very important national security problem.
In the first place, who would believe that the police would be able to independently and professionally investigate into this matter, when there appears to be a tradition of lack of police independence and professionalism on sensitive issues involving the highest reaches of police and the government.
A good case in point was the 1998 “black-eyes” attack on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by the then Inspector-General of Police in the very inner sanctum of Bukit Aman, just some fortnight after losing his high positions as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia’s shame
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Friday, 26 March 2010
Financial Times
24.3.2010
Malaysia presents itself as a modern, successful and democratic nation. Many western leaders have hailed the country as an example of moderate, tolerant Islam – at ease with itself and with the non-Muslim world. Malaysia does indeed have much to be proud of. But the trial of Anwar Ibrahim, which is due to restart this week, is a massive blot on the country’s reputation for tolerance and political pluralism.
Mr Anwar is a vital figure in the Malaysian opposition. The coalition of opposition forces he leads represents the most potent challenge to the ruling National Front coalition in many years. But Mr Anwar, a married man with six children, is on trial for sodomy. He has already served six years in solitary confinement on charges of sodomy and abuse of power – although the sodomy charges were later over-turned by the courts, leading to Mr Anwar’s release in 2004. If he is convicted this time, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The first thing to say is that – even allowing for cultural and religious sensitivities – Malaysia should be embarrassed that it is threatening to send a man to prison for consensual sex with another adult. But there are also considerable doubts about the case against Mr Anwar. The evidence against him is thin and the political context is very clear.
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The difficult trials of Anwar Ibrahim
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, 23 March 2010
By Gideon Rachman | Financial Times
Published: March 23 2010 02:00 | Last updated: March 23 2010 02:00
Gideon Rachman: I met Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Malaysian opposition, in the ornate surroundings of the Landmark Hotel in London last week. He was remarkably relaxed for a man who is due to be put on trial, on charges of sodomy next week, which is a crime in Malaysia punishable with a long jail term. If convicted, this would be a return to a prison cell for Anwar. He was arrested in the late 1990s and served six years in solitary confinement on previous charges of sodomy (later over-turned) and corruption.
Yet for a man about to undergo a humiliating and dangerous ordeal, Anwar seemed in remarkably good form: relaxed, cracking jokes and outwardly convinced that he would beat the rap. I asked him how he could be so laid-back, given the trial that he was about to face. He replied coolly: “It’s not that I’m oblivious to it, or unaffected by it, but you have to just get on with life.” He knows that he can survive prison and he has the support of a staunch and politically-engaged wife and six daughters.
I first met Anwar in 1992, when he was Malaysian finance minister. At the time, the going was good, both for Anwar and for Malaysia. The country was booming and the young finance minister was widely regarded as the favoured protégé and heir apparent of Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s long-serving and autocratic prime minister.
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Was Anwar’s sacking 11 years ago lawful?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Judiciary, NH Chan on Friday, 12 March 2010
By NH Chan
MARCH 12 — On Tuesday March 9, 2010 the Sun reports:
Federal Court: Anwar’s sacking from cabinet lawful
Putrajaya: The sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister and finance minister 11 years ago was lawful, the Federal Court ruled yesterday.
Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff and Federal Court judges Datuk Wira Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusof and Datul Abdull Hamid Embong unanimously dismissed Anwar’s final appeal for a declaration that his dismissal from his cabinet posts in September 2, 1998 was unconstitutional.
Alauddin held that the then prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had the authority under the Federal Constitution to sack his cabinet minister.
He said, the King, as a constitutional monarch, was required to act in accordance with the advice of the prime minister.
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The indomitable spirit of several thousands who stood under heavy rain to hear Pakatan Rakyat leaders in Semboyan Halilintar ke Putrajaya ceramah perdana potent sign that the goal of Putrajaya is within reach
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat, Post-2008 general election, Twitter on Wednesday, 10 March 2010
I thought the crowd of thousands for this Semboyan Halilintar ke Putrajaya ceramah perdana in Seremban to commemorate the second anniversary of March 8, 2008 political tsunami would dissolve away when the full blasts of the rain came, but the indomitable spirit of several thousands who stood their ground despite heavy rain is a potent sign that the Pakatan Rakyat goal of Putrajaya in the next general election is within reach.
In recent weeks, Umno/Barisan especially through their owned and controlled mainstream media (msm) had tried to paint a picture of Pakatan Rakyat in disarray if not in disintegration, focusing particularly on Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which has been reduced to 26 from 30 MPs two years ago.
Firstly, Umno/BN tried to foment trouble in Pakatan Rakyat saying that I should be Parliamentary Opposition Leader as the DAP with 28 MPs has now more MPs than PKR. Thanks but no, as DAP has decided that Anwar Ibrahim is the Parliamentary Opposition Leader heading the Pakatan Rakyat in Parliament until he becomes the new Prime Minister when Pakatan Rakyat captures Putrajaya in the next general elections.
Secondly, the Umno/BN launched a psychological warfare against PKR and Pakatan Rakyat because of the PKR cleansing process resulting in the reduction, whether by defection or expulsion, of its parliamentary strength.
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Kit Siang: Pakatan to win big if Anwar is jailed
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday, 7 March 2010
By Neville Spykerman | The Malaysian Insider
SHAH ALAM, March 7 — Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang today predicted the Pakatan Rakyat will have an easier time at the next general election if the government jails Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy.
“If he is jailed, our motto will be free Anwar, vote PR!” said the DAP stalwart during the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Convention.
Anwar, the de factor PKR and PR leader, is facing his second sodomy charge in more than a decade after he was sacked as deputy prime minister and later jailed for sodomy and corruption offences.
The next election is not due until 2013 but pundits expect Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to call for snap polls after the Sarawak state elections, which are due by July 2011.
The Ipoh Timor MP said the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government was courting trouble by continuing their persecution of the Opposition Leader, who has denied the sodomy charge and called it a political conspiracy.
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