Posted on

Malaysia Election Around the Corner?

Asia Sentinel
by Our Correspondent
Thursday, 12 January 2012

With Sodomy II out of the way, looks forward to March polls — maybe

With the Sodomy II trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim now out of the way, it is probably time to start thinking seriously about Malaysia’s 13th general election, which most observers — but not all — believe will be called in March, during school holidays when the classrooms are empty.

Despite euphoria on the part of the three-party opposition coalition, the end of the trial doesn’t mean that Anwar’s troubles are over. One political observer in Kuala Lumpur told Asia Sentinel that the United Malays National Organization, the lead party in the ruling national coalition, will probably do its best to discredit him in other ways. Continue reading “Malaysia Election Around the Corner?”

Posted on

Anwar’s acquittal has bought for Najib his last but very short-lived chance to prove that he can walk the talk of a reformer and proponent of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s surprise acquittal of Sodomy 2 charge on Monday has bought for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak his last but very short-lived chance to prove that he can walk the talk of a reformer and proponent of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan.

Nobody really believes the self-serving claims by Najib, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin and the Minister for Information, Communications and Culture Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim that Anwar’s acquittal was proof of the independence of the judiciary in Malaysia and would increase the confidence of Malaysians and international community in Najib’s transformation promises.

The 33 months of Najib’s premiership since April 2009 were lost months for reform and transformation as there were only empty rhetorics not backed up with any political will to bring about fundamental changes in all aspects of national life. Continue reading “Anwar’s acquittal has bought for Najib his last but very short-lived chance to prove that he can walk the talk of a reformer and proponent of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan”

Posted on

Anwar free: And now for Malaysia

Dean Johns | Jan 11, 2012
Malaysiakini

Failing an appeal that may yet be made by the prosecution, Anwar Ibrahim is finally free of his latest spurious sodomy charge and the possibility of up to 20 years in jail.

And now, it’s time for the Malaysian people to win their freedom from 50-plus years – or the equivalent of more than two life sentences – of imprisonment and empoisonment by the rotten Umno/BN regime.

Though it could be argued that a great many Malaysians have nobody but themselves to blame for this punishing experience, having effectively held themselves captive by voting for their oppressors so repeatedly and for so long. Continue reading “Anwar free: And now for Malaysia”

Posted on

Judiciary still in winter of emasculation

— by Bob Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 12, 2012

JAN 12 — Let’s not be beguiled by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s claim of the judiciary’s independence following the High Court’s full acquittal and discharge of Anwar Ibrahim from the charge of sodomy. As succinctly put by an international civil liberties watchdog, the Opposition leader should not have been charged in the first place.

Anwar’s three trials over 20 years were simply an abuse of due process; nothing more than Umno’s dirty and sordid politics to rid itself of its arch nemesis involving all three prime ministers in a row.

Don’t be misled, a swallow doth not a summer maketh. We are still deep in the winter of an emasculated judiciary frozen since the Mahathir ice age. We need more evidence of courage and boldness from our judges before we can hope to thaw into a new spring.

But credit must be given to where it’s due. Recent judgments indicate some judges are willing to go into early retirement or be put into the cold storage by going the extra mile in their adjudication. The High Court’s judgment against the government in the Allah case is a case in point. There are a few others that are noteworthy. Continue reading “Judiciary still in winter of emasculation”

Posted on

Start law reforms by probing A-G, ex-cop urges PM

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 12, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim today insisted Datuk Seri Najib Razak prove his impartiality by calling for a royal inquiry on Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail over the Attorney-General’s alleged mishandling of several high profile cases.

According to Mat Zain, the prime minister should make formal representation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the setting up of a tribunal to examine Abdul Gani’s actions.

“It would be the first step forward for PM Najib to restore the country’s criminal justice system which has been tainted for a long time. The people would accept no less than this,” the former Kuala Lumpur CID chief said today in a letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

Mat Zain said that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal on Monday did not prove the Najib administration had not interfered in the case or the judiciary’s independence. Continue reading “Start law reforms by probing A-G, ex-cop urges PM”