Lim Kit Siang

Shafee’s nation-wide roadshow against Anwar no less vile, vengeful and vindictive just because it has become a closed-door event

Tan Sri Mohammad Shafee Abdullah’s nation-wide roadshow against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to try to win in the court of public opinion on Anwar’s conviction and five-year jail sentence on Sodomy II is not less vile, vengeful and vindictive just because it has become closed-door event not to be reported in the media.

Last night, Shafee was in Permatang Pauh for the second stop of his nation-wide roadshow against Anwar, in a talk dubbed “Sejenak bersama TS Shafee Abdullah”, but unlike his first stop of his nation-wide roadshow at an UMNO Youth forum in Kelana Jaya last Tuesday, the media were told not cover or write about the talk.

But Shafee should know that his roadshow against Anwar is not less vile, vengeful and vindictive just it is now closed-door not to be reported by the media, which actually makes it even more deplorable, despicable and unwarranted, as he would be able to “get away with murder” without fear of being challenged whether in the court of law or the court of public opinion.

It is in fact a most cowardly act, embarking on a roadshop clearly detrimental to Anwar’s reputation and character without affording Anwar any opportunity to answer his serious and even wild allegations against the Parliamentary Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister.

The gravity of such reckless and irresponsible acts increases manifold when Shafee is not prepared to allow the Malaysian taxpayers to know how much he is being paid from the public coffers for being the lead prosecutor in the Sodomy II trial at both the Court of Appeal and Federal Court stages, and whether, if so how much, taxpayers are paying for his nation-wide roadshow to attack Anwar’s character and integrity to justify the Federal Court decision and five-year jail sentence.

Are the UMNO leaders going to continue to allow Shafee to continue with his nation-wide roadshow against Anwar?