After Acquittal, Malaysian Political Icon Looks to Poll
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 12:01 pm
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, 11:43 am
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, 11:24 am
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar Ibrahim Acquitted of Sodomy Charges
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 10:41 am
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, 3:56 pm
— 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 »
The Shah Alam Declaration
Posted by Kit in DAP, Economics, nation building on Monday, 9 January 2012, 2:47 pm
WE, the national delegates of the Democratic Action Party, assembled here at the National Conference in Shah Alam, Selangor, on 8th January 2012, hereby reaffirm the principles of the DAP and so duly commit to lead the way in effecting much-needed change in the form of democratisation and economic well being in order to achieve the Malaysian Dream of a more prosperous, democratic and dignified Malaysia.
We convey our highest salutations and heartiest congratulations to the Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah on his proclamation as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Malaysian Federation. May his sovereign reign encourage and foster the spirit of democracy and human rights amongst his loyal subjects. Daulat Tuanku!
On the cusp of change
All around the world, change is happening with a ferocity unseen since the end of the Cold War. People in every corner of the globe, from Tahrir Square to Wall Street, are rising in unprecedented numbers. Formerly passive societies have suddenly discovered newfound courage to stand up and reclaim their dignity.
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, 2:03 pm
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, 1:15 pm
— 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, 11:32 am
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 »
What do Arabs Want?
Posted by Kit in Islam, Middle East/Africa on Friday, 6 January 2012, 11:08 pm
Mansoor Moaddel
www.project-syndicate.org
2012-01-04
CAIRO – The self-immolation a year ago of Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi triggered a wave of popular protests that spread across the Arab world, forcing out dictators in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Now, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, too, seems near the end of his rule.
Together, these movements for change have come to be known as the Arab Spring. But what values are driving these movements, and what kind of change do their adherents want? A series of surveys in the Arab world last summer highlights some significant shifts in public opinion.
In surveys, 84% of Egyptians and 66% of Lebanese regarded democracy and economic prosperity as the Arab Spring’s goal. In both countries, only about 9% believed that these movements aimed to establish an Islamic government.
For Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, where trend data are available, the Arab Spring reflected a significant shift in people’s values concerning national identity. In 2001, only 8% of Egyptians defined themselves as Egyptians above all, while 81% defined themselves as Muslims. In 2007, the results were roughly the same.
In the wake of the Arab Spring, however, these numbers changed dramatically: those defining themselves as Egyptians rose to 50%, 2% more than those who defined themselves as Muslims. Among Iraqis, primary self-identification in national terms jumped from 23% of respondents in 2004 to 57% in 2011. Among Saudis, the figure jumped from 17% in 2003 to 46% in 2011, while the share of those claiming a primary Muslim identity dropped from 75% to 44%.
There has also been a shift toward secular politics and weakening support for sharia (Islamic religious law). Read the rest of this entry »
Wire Up, or Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Jobs
Posted by Kit in Articles, IT, university on Friday, 6 January 2012, 10:42 pm
Thomas L. Friedman | January 05, 2012
The Jakarta Globe
Two things struck me about the Republican presidential candidate debates leading up to the Iowa caucuses. One is how entertaining they were. The other is how disconnected they were from the biggest trends shaping the job market of the 21st century. What if the 2012 campaign were actually about the world in which we’re living and how we adapt to it? What would the candidates be talking about?
Surely at or near the top of that list would be the tightening merger between globalization and the latest information technology revolution. The IT revolution is giving individuals more and more cheap tools of innovation, collaboration and creativity — thanks to hand-held computers, social networks and “the cloud,” which stores powerful applications that anyone can download.
And the globalization side of this revolution is integrating more and more of these empowered people into ecosystems, where they can innovate and manufacture more products and services that make people’s lives more healthy, educated, entertained, productive and comfortable.
The best of these ecosystems will be cities and towns that combine a university, an educated populace, a dynamic business community and the fastest broadband connections on earth. These will be the job factories of the future. The countries that thrive will be those that build more of these towns that make possible “high-performance knowledge exchange and generation,” explains Blair Levin, who runs the Aspen Institute’s Gig.U project, a consortium of 37 university communities working to promote private investment in next-generation ecosystems. 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, 8:48 pm
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 »
Kalau dunia nak kiamat pun, janganlah kita jadi pembawa dalilnya
Posted by Kit in Corruption, DAP, UMNO on Friday, 6 January 2012, 11:58 am
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012
6 JAN — Dalam kegawatan politik yang sedang dihadapi rakyat kini, banyak perkara yang dapat kita pelajari dan ianya melambangkan sikap dan nilai pemikiran masing-masing yang bermain dalam politik ini. Berbahas dalam politik tidak ada etikanya di sini. Kalau di negara maju mereka berbincang dan berbahas menggunakan isu yang sedang hangat diperkatakan ramai.
Tetapi di sini mereka berbincang tentang budi dan membalas budi walaupun yang berbudi itu sekarang sedang melencong jauh dari apa yang sepatutnya mereka lakukan dan perjuangkan. Kalau telah mendapat subsidi gigi palsu dari jabatan kesihatan mereka tidak boleh lagi menegur kerajaan yang korap itu dan wajib menyokong pimpinan yang melakukan korapsi itu.
Jika kita telah mendapat pinjaman untuk anak kita belajar ke luar negara, kita di minta jangan mempersoalkan apa-apa yang tidak baik yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan dan pimpinan. Rakyat di kurung pemikiran mereka semata-mata telah mendapat gigi palsu percuma dan pinjaman dan pembiayaan pelajaran anak-anak kita. Apabila termakan sedikit wang rakyat yang bukan pun wang BN atau pun Umno, rakyat mesti duduk diam dan memerhatikan sahaja segala kerja rasuah dan salahguna kuasa oleh pihak yang memimpin.
Budaya ini telah dibentuk oleh Umno sejak bertahun-tahun dahulu dan ini membuatkan orang Melayu tidak boleh berfikir jauh sedikit dari pemikiran mereka yang melakukan tekanan ini. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno: Pelindung atau pemusnah?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, DAP, UMNO on Friday, 6 January 2012, 11:42 am
— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012
6 JAN — Berita mengenai kami berdua masuk DAP mencetuskan reaksi yang di duga dari penentang kami dalam dunia blog. Yang boleh di duga ialah isi serangan. Serangan peribadi dan personal. Memperlekehkan perwatakan. Orang2 kecewa. Di bayar oleh DAP. Agaknya, ini cara Umno menggalakkan orang lompat? Bayar sana sini. Yang saya tahu itu dia cara Najib Razak operates — pays his way through.
Dan seumpamanya. Jika benar, maka tidak perlu Umno dan penyokong rasa cemas dan gusar. Mudahlah mengalahkan mereka berdua.
Kalau Aspan bertanding di Seremban, semua menteri berasal dari Nogori Sembilan akan hentam dia. Teruklah dia kena belasah. Saya pula, mana lah terdaya menentang Ng Yen Yen di Raub — dia ada billboard yang berharga RM1.9 juta, ada website yang bernilai jutaan ringgit juga. Dia menteri. Dia boleh buat hebohan yang rapi lagi mantap. Lainlah kalau saya bertanding di Triang. Tapi Leong Ngah Ngah has done a sterling job. Biar dia disana.
Dua orang tua (Muhyiddin, Najib Razak dan ramai lagi pimpinan Umno lebih tua dan ganyut) tidak menjadikan kudis pada Umno. Aspan pula tidak hensem walaupun ada menteri Umno kita pandang macam-macam. Umno gagah dan perkasa walaupun pemimpinnya dari yang tertinggi ke yang tidak tinggi semua korap dan rasuah. Bukan saya yang kata, Dr Mahathir yang kata. Bukan saya kata, tapi Shahrizat yang kata. If I go down, the other clowns go down with me. Mana pemimpin Umno yang tidak ada masaalah tanya Shahrizat? Read the rest of this entry »
Why no apology?
Posted by Kit in Education, Najib Razak, Religion on Thursday, 5 January 2012, 8:58 pm
— Spencer Gan
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012
JAN 5 — In 1998, then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed promised Catholic Church leaders that the church would be consulted when it comes to the appointment of principals and heads of mission schools.
That promise was elastic and was made just before the Sabah election, and at a time when Dr Mahathir was shaky after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. This historical fact was made public a few weeks when Archbishop Murphy Pakiam informed Catholics that the government had reneged on its promise to consult the church on the new principal of Convent Bukit Nanas.
Only after threatening noises by the church did the government back down. So please excuse my scepticism about the “assurance” given by Najib Razak at a lunch with Christian leaders that the government would consult in future before any appointments are made. Once again, this promise is being before an election.
Given this administration’s big propensity for flip-flopping, it would not surprise me if in the new future the Catholic Church may once again have to highlight another episode of the government going back on its word.
So unless there is some written agreement between church and government, this assurance by Najib will count for not much. Read the rest of this entry »
The government doth protest too much
Posted by Kit in Politics, university, Youth on Thursday, 5 January 2012, 7:12 pm
— Azmil Tayeb
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012
JAN 5 — In my previous incarnation as a student in the United States, I occasionally attended gatherings at the Malaysian Embassy and consulate offices, some of which were hosted to receive various ministers and other high-ranking government officials.
In addition to being stuffed with delicious home-made Malaysian food — the main reason why I think most of us were there — we were also fed with the exhortations that we were not supposed to get involved in politics, not to pay any attention to the political issues currently brewing in Malaysia, and instead to solely focus on our studies.
Don’t sweat your innocent, highly impressionable minds with all these slanders and negativities you hear from home, said the avuncular minister. The time will come soon enough for you to get involve and subsequently enjoy the experience of being bashed senseless in the head by the FRU.
Okay, the minister didn’t say that last part. But the point I’m trying make here is that there’s no better moment to assume a proactive role in the society than during this unique window of time and place occupied by these so-called innocent, highly impressionable minds.
The recent “controversy” concerning the lowering of the PM’s banner at PWTC by the students and the alleged assault on student activists at UPSI on new year’s day by the police brings to light the familiar issue of whether Malaysian students should be allowed to get involved in politics, particularly via protests and other acts of civil disobedience. 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, 2:03 pm
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 »
Churches tell Najib: Respect law, remove anti-Christian rules, policies
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Religion on Thursday, 5 January 2012, 7:52 am
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 05, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak should respect the law and start removing rules and policies that have seen Christians being victimised by the bureaucracry, a national group representing over 90 per cent of churches said yesterday.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) called on the prime minister to check the growing systematic religious attacks against Christians nationwide over the past one year.
It also called on Najib to act and stop the attempts to “murder” and “destroy” his commitment and legacy to religious moderation he is championing.
Anglican Bishop Ng Moon Hing, who heads the CFM, urged the PM to set up a non-Muslim religious affairs ministry to safeguard and protect the interests and rights of not only Christians but Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and Hindus. Read the rest of this entry »
Designed to make us free
Posted by Kit in Police, university on Wednesday, 4 January 2012, 10:40 pm
– Ang Jian Wei
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 04, 2012
JAN 4 — Upon returning from the New Year’s countdown, the last thing I expected to read was news of a clash between the police and the student body that decided to hold a sit-in outside Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). The latter did so to champion academic freedom.
The result of that clash is a terrible way to start the year. The reaction of a just government should always be measured and proportional to the incident at hand — even if it’s done in the name of security. That did not seem to be the case in Tanjung Malim. It was way out of line and uncalled for.
It bordered on paranoia.
The numbers don’t add up. Why on earth do we need the police to demand the dispersal of a sit-in demonstration that we all know is temporary? These are students and their most lethal weapons are probably flashlights and an amplifier. I don’t think that will cause anybody to wet his/her pants. Read the rest of this entry »
How sincere is Najib?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Religion on Wednesday, 4 January 2012, 1:40 pm
— Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 04, 2012
JAN 4 — I just read the report in The Malaysian Insider that Prime Minister Najib Razak is to meet selected Christian church leaders for lunch today.
I have some sympathy for the church leaders because, if they were to poll their individual congregations, then the overwhelming view would be that the likes of Archbishop Murphy Pakiam and his friends should decline to break bread with Najib because the administration and even the PM have not been honest in their dealings with Christians. If anything, certain individuals and groups have been given the freedom under the Najib government to denigrate Christianity like never before.
But some of the main tenets of the faith are forgiveness and compassion, so I can understand why many Christian leaders will go ahead and meet Najib today. Still, may I caution all Christians to remember a few things and events and not to view the lunch in isolation. Read the rest of this entry »
