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2 notorious cases challenge Malaysia’s modesty

International Herald Tribune
By Thomas Fuller

Friday, August 1, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Government censors in this majority Muslim nation uphold an ethos of modesty by snipping sex scenes from films and ordering entertainers to avoid outfits that reveal too much on Malaysian stages – bare belly buttons and figure-hugging outfits are off limits.

But these days Malaysians looking to avoid R-rated content might be advised to read past news reports about their own leaders. Top politicians are embroiled in two scandals involving accusations of sodomy and the gruesome murder of a Mongolian mistress.

Reports on the finer points of a rectal examination and revelations about the sexual preferences of the dead mistress make other sex scandals that once shocked people here – such as Monica Lewinsky and her blue dress – seem almost Victorian.

This is not the first time that sex and politics have publicly collided in Malaysia. The trial of Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister, for sodomy in the 1990s featured, among other highlights, a blood-stained mattress being hauled into the courtroom.

This time, wider use of the Internet has helped disseminate documents, facts and rumors that would otherwise have been filtered out of mainstream news media tightly controlled by the government.

The two scandals encompass much more than just sex. They are part of a broader clash between two men vying for power: Anwar is facing new allegations of sodomy at a time when he is vowing to unseat the governing party, while the other scandal involves Anwar’s principal political rival, Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister and anointed heir to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

What is worrying for many Malaysians is that the gloves appear to have come off in the high-stakes fight between Anwar and Najib. Continue reading “2 notorious cases challenge Malaysia’s modesty”

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Drop Anwar’s Sodomy II persecution – 1st step to end Abdullah’s freefall of public confidence in PM

“Abdullah: We do not fear Anwar – ‘Govt won’t stop him from contesting but due process of law cannot be ignored’” – this Star headline today is symptomatic of what is wrong with the Abdullah administration, that it is terribly obsessed and mortally worried about the Anwar factor in Malaysian politics.

Otherwise, why should Abdullah be dwelling on the subject of Anwar in the past two consecutive days, as if he has nothing more important to fret about – with the grave political, economic and nation-building crisis faced by 26 million Malaysians as well as his possible legacy to go down in history as the worst Prime Minister of Malaysia despite his glorious electoral mandate in 2004.

Instead of being haunted by the Anwar factor, Abdullah and his Cabinet should focus on the latest opinion poll of the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, conducted between July 4-16 from 1,030 Malaysians, which found among others the following:

1. For the first time, Abdullah’s popularity has plunged from a record high of 91 per cent in November 2004 to 61 per cent in January 2008 (just before the March 8 general election), down to 53 per cent in April 2008. With the unchecked free-fall in the past three months, Abdullah’s popularity rating has crashed below 50% in the latest survey to 42%.

2. The popular “satisfaction” quotient with the Barisan Nasional federal government has also fallen below 50%, with 54 per cent either “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the Barisan Nasional government, while 44 per cent said they were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”. Continue reading “Drop Anwar’s Sodomy II persecution – 1st step to end Abdullah’s freefall of public confidence in PM”

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Anwar’s Sodomy II – has it become Abdullah’s personal crusade?

I am flabbergasted.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi seems very determined to provide examples to illustrate the continuing crisis of confidence in his administration.

Yesterday, in an interview with Associated Press, Abdullah went public on the Sodomy II allegations against Anwar Ibrahim in a manner which could only mean that he was in the thick of the decision-making process as to whether Anwar Ibrahim, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser would be hauled to court for a second sodomy charge in a decade, when the Prime Minister has no business to be involved in the exercise of the discretionary power by the Attorney-General on matters of prosecution or otherwise.

How else could one interpret the following remarks by Abdullah yesterday:

“This man pleads for justice. We care about (Anwar) more than we care about this man? That is very odd. He needs justice; that is what he is crying for. We cannot ignore that.”

I am verily surprised that Abdullah had today repeated this obsession of “justice for Saiful” when he returned to the same subject today. Continue reading “Anwar’s Sodomy II – has it become Abdullah’s personal crusade?”

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Anwar’s Sodomy II charge – very imminent

What are your impressions when you read the following AP report today?

PM rules out emergency rule

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today ruled out imposing emergency rule if street protests broke out in the event that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was arrested.

“I don’t think we are going down that road; definitely not,” Abdullah told Associated Press in an interview today.

“Why should (protests) get out of hand? That would be very unbecoming of the party that intends to be the government of Malaysia – to take laws into their own hands and demonstrate as they wish.”

There are fears that Anwar could be arrested in the coming days as the police wrapped up their investigation into a former aide’s allegation that he was sodomised by Anwar.

Abdullah said that the 23-year-old ex-aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, deserved justice as much as any other Malaysian.

“This man pleads for justice,” Abdullah said. “We care about (Anwar) more than we care about this man? That is very odd. He needs justice; that is what he is crying for. We cannot ignore that.”

Continue reading “Anwar’s Sodomy II charge – very imminent”

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Battle Royale – Anwar to contest in Permatang Pauh

The battle royale is on.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will contest in Permatang Pauh in a by-election to return to Parliament after a decade’s absence, following the resignation of Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as MP for the seat.

This has just been announced by Anwar in a media conference.

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Hamid, what are you doing to carry out your basic duty?

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar – What are you doing to carry out your basic duty as Home Minister to make the public places, streets and homes safe for Malaysians, tourists and investors?

Hamid declared yesterday that investigations into Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s sodomy allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not be dropped.

Hamid has a lot of time for the sodomy charge against Anwar. But has he got time to restore to Malaysians, tourists and investors their most basic human right to be safe in public places?

Has Hamid read or been informed of the following letter which appeared in today’s Sun and can he declare what he has done about it? Or has he just got no time for these mundane things as compared to the sodomy allegation against Anwar?

Hamid, waiting for your public response to the following letter in the Sun today: Continue reading “Hamid, what are you doing to carry out your basic duty?”

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Public apology to Anwar for fictitious charge of sodomy

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

A FULL EXPLANATION AND A PUBLIC APOLOGY TO ANWAR IBRAHIM IS DEMANDED BY THE PEOPLE FOR INSITUTING A FICTIOUS CHARGE OF SODOMY AGAINST ANWAR AND FOR CAUSING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL INSTABILITY AND INJURING THE REPUTATION OF OUR BELOVED COUNTRY.

The Home Minister appears to be in a hurry to close the Saiful sodomy case now that Dr. Mohd Osman medical report is widely known. Not so fast Mr Minister. There are many unanswered questions which he must explain to the people.

Gone are his old swagger and arrogant attitude. He is trying to run away fast now that the case has gone against the conspirators.

Do not let him off easy. Demand an explanation and there are lots for him to clarify and explain

Who instigated Saiful to make a police report accusing Anwar of sodomisng him? Continue reading “Public apology to Anwar for fictitious charge of sodomy”

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Top Cabinet agenda tomorrow – end sodomy of Malaysia’s international reputation NOW

The top agenda for the Cabinet tomorrow must be to wrestle with probably the nation’s worst global crisis in its 51-year history and end the sodomy of Malaysia’s international reputation NOW so that we would not be dumped in the dubious company of Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Sudan on the rule of law, transparency and good governance.

The very fact that the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar last week had to give a special briefing on the sodomy investigation against Anwar Ibrahim to 96 foreign diplomats on very short notice is the best proof of the national and international crisis of credibility faced by the present administration over the Sodomy II allegation against Anwar as well as the handling of other high-profile investigations.

The latest development in the Sodomy II allegation against Anwar – ten years after his Sodomy I charge which was later overturned by the Federal Court – as well as recent events, such as the disappearance of private investigator Bala Subramaniam after making two conflicting Statutory Declarations within 24 hours with far-reaching implications about the independence and integrity of the rule of law and system of justice can only heighten and intensify these national and international concerns.

The police response to Internet revelations of a medical report concerning the accuser of Anwar’s Sodomy II charge, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan – that there was no evidence of sodomy four hours before he lodged the police report of sodomy against Anwar on June 28 – has only confirmed national and international doubts about the independence, integrity and professionalism of the police handling of the case and strengthened belief in Anwar’s innocence.

In dismissing the revelation of the medical report as “another attempt to sabotage police investigations” and threatening to go after the whistleblowers, while studiously declining to comment on the existence and veracity of the Pusrawi Hospital medical report, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has done a great disservice to police reputation and professionalism – as he had merely added flame to fan national and international conviction about the authenticity of the medical report. Continue reading “Top Cabinet agenda tomorrow – end sodomy of Malaysia’s international reputation NOW”

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Police cannot be silent a single second – latest shocking revelation on 2nd Anwar sodomy charge

The Police cannot keep silent a single second on the latest shocking revelation in the second Anwar Ibrahim sodomy charge – that the first medical report on Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan found no evidence of sodomy four hours before he lodged the police report of sodomy against Anwar on June 28.

The revelation, which first appeared in Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s Malaysia Today news portal, and is reported in Malaysiakini, is based on a two-page medical report by Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, the medical officer in Hospital Pusrawi (Pusat Rawatan Islam) in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur after examining Saiful at about 2 p.m on June 28 – some four hours before Saiful lodged the police report against Anwar.

This is the account in Malaysiakini:

According to a copy of the two-page medical report obtained by malaysiakini yesterday, Saiful went to the hospital complaining of ‘tenesmus’ – a medical term for difficulty and pain in passing motion.

He was examined by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, the medical officer on duty.

The doctor said that the patient had alleged he was assaulted by the intrusion of a piece of “plastic” in the anus.

Mohamed Osman, according to his medical report which was recorded at 2.14pm, found “zero active bleeding”, “zero ulcer or pus”, “zero tear and scar” in Saiful’s anus.

He also stated that Saiful appeared “alert”, “comfortable”, “not pale” and did not show any fever symptoms.

Continue reading “Police cannot be silent a single second – latest shocking revelation on 2nd Anwar sodomy charge”

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Declare Anwar innocent of sodomy allegations and drop all charges

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Three international political and economic giants have called on the Malaysian government to drop sodomy charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on thursday 24th july.

They are Paul Martin former Canadian Prime Miniser, James Wolfenson former World Bank chief and Michael C amdesus former head of International Monetary Fund

A day earlier, US secretary of state Condolezza Rice strongly voiced her disfavour that Anwar was being singled our for sodomy charges again similar to the charges in 1998 ten years ago. Anwar was imprisoned for six years but the Federal Court absolved Anwar of sodomy charges in 2004.

In replly to foreign minister Rais Yatim’s objections on USA interventon in internal affairs, Rice maintained she would continue to raise Anwar’s issue in the interests of human rights and justice. She too implied the charges were fabricated and the sodomy charge should be removed.

Brad Adams, Asia directorThe world guardian of human rigts, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH on July 21 said “the Malaysian government’s record provides little basis to believe this is anything other than partisan political attack on Anwar. In the light of past FALSE ALLEGATIONS AND HIS UNFAIR TRIAL, Anwar has good reason to worry that his rights wont’t be respected”. Continue reading “Declare Anwar innocent of sodomy allegations and drop all charges”

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One “black eye” after another – Hamid’s special briefing to diplomats on Anwar “a big flop”

The special briefing on Wednesday by Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to 96 foreign diplomats on government action and police investigations into the sodomy allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is clearly a big flop, with the caustic criticism by the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice within 24 hours with her call for transparency and the rule of law into the new allegations against Anwar.

Rice rejected the earlier claim by her Malaysian counterpart, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim that the United States was meddling in Malaysia’s internal affairs by raising concern over Anwar’s arrest.

She said the United States would continue to speak on cases involving human rights and politics although it did so “in a spirit of respect for Malaysia”.

She stressed that the United States “doesn’t recognise this very firm barrier that it is simply internal affairs when a case of this kind comes up, but we are going to continue to work with Malaysia”. Continue reading “One “black eye” after another – Hamid’s special briefing to diplomats on Anwar “a big flop””

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Hamid Albar the greatest national security threat

Datuk Seri Syed Albar is a major security threat if the Home Minister is so gullible as to launch a massive three-day 1,600-personnel police operation to lock down Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley causing great financial losses and inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of people based on “rubbish” intelligence about a non-existent high-level Pakatan Rakyat leadership meeting, two speeches, two blogs and two SMS.

Hamid had promised Parliament on Tuesday to retract his allegation that DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Kepong, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw and I had attended a top leadership meeting of Pakatan Rakyat at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat headquarters on July 9 to plot a mass demonstration in or at Parliament last Monday to justify the deployment of 1,600 police personnel to create a three-day gridlock of the Federal capital and the Klang Valley.

Why is Hamid so conspicuously silent about his promise in Parliament in the past three days?

Is he still checking on whether he had been taken for a ride by his dishonest informers who had concocted such tall tale about a fictitious meeting of top Pakatan Rakyat leaders on July 9, purportedly attended by Guan Eng, Seng Giaw and myself – when it is just a pack of lies?

Hamid said yesterday that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should not worry about giving his DNA samples if he were interested to seek the truth behind the sodomy allegations against him. Continue reading “Hamid Albar the greatest national security threat”

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Police Black Eyes

Anwar Ibrahim has been released on police bail this morning.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised that there will not be another “black eye” trauma for Anwar as happened ten years ago.

However, the police has received a “black eye” of its own making, in its highly-provocative, unprofessional and unjustifiable arrest of Anwar by police commandos in balaclava at 12.55 pm yesterday – when the former deputy prime minister had already promised to report to the police at 2 pm.

This is the second self-administered police black-eye within a week – the other being the completely unjustified three-day 1,600-personnel police operation to lock down the Federal Capital and the Klang Valley to thwart a massive demonstration in Parliament on Monday when there was not a single protestor – causing great and unnecessary inconvenience and hardships to hundreds of thousands of people, plunging public confidence in the efficiency, competence and professionalism of the police to an all-time low. Continue reading “Police Black Eyes”

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Another Trial for Malaysia

By Farish A. Noor

The trials and tribulations of Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim continue, and history seems to be repeating itself time and again in the country. Ten years after the infamous trial where he was accused of sexual misconduct and abuse of power, Anwar Ibrahim is once again being investigated for charges of sexual misconduct with a man who was a member of his party, the People’s Justice Party (PKR) of Malaysia.

On 16th July Anwar was arrested just after he had given his testimony before the country’s Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), and on his way to give yet another testimony at the Police Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. A deadline had been set at 2.00 pm for him to show up at the police office, and though he was already on his way there he was apprehended near his home before the deadline had expired.

Anwar has since been arrested under the laws of section 377a of the Malaysian constitution that stipulates that ‘abnormal sex’ is a crime. Yet Malaysians have grown somewhat weary of the use of this law as the last time it was put to work was in 1998, when Anwar was also accused on ‘abnormal sex’. The trial that followed his arrest in 1998 was a shambolic affair that brought low the reputation of the Malaysian judiciary and security services; and the icing on the cake was the assault on Anwar that led to him being produced in court with bruises on his face and the infamous black eye that has been captured for posterity by the world’s media. Malaysia’s legal institutions suffered the biggest blow to their credibility as the court case that followed was scrutinised in detail by Malaysia-watchers the world over. Continue reading “Another Trial for Malaysia”

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Anwar detained by police overnight

Anwar Ibrahim has been denied bail and is being detained by the police overnight, purportedly so that the police could take a “further statement”.

This is a most ridiculous reason, as Anwar had been questioned for five hours today before he was taken to Kuala Lumpur hospital for two hours.

The Prime Minister and the Police should be aware that world attention is focused on Anwar’s detention and if there is any ill-treatment of Anwar as happened ten years ago, there will be no place for anyone, regardless of station, to hide.

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Anwar’s arrest – police provocative, untrustworthy and unprofessional

In arresting Anwar Ibrahim outside his Bukit Segambut home just before 1 pm today, the police are being most provocative, unprofessional and untrustworthy.

Anwar had already undertaken to report to the police at 2 p.m after he had given his statement to the Anti-Corruption Agency in the morning, and to spring such an arrest well before 2 pm outside his house has deepened public concerns and fears that the police cannot be independent, professional, responsible and trustworthy in handling the latest Anwar case. Continue reading “Anwar’s arrest – police provocative, untrustworthy and unprofessional”

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Authoritarian solution?

( From Australian Broadcasting Corporation transcript of the Protes rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on Sunday. Clive Kessler is professor sociology at the University of New South Wales and one of Australia’s foremost Malaysia watchers.)

Clive Kessler: The situation in Malaysia at the moment is remarkable and that the brave hopes of independence have turned into an unbelievably sordid soap opera and the popular feeling among many people on the streets is precisely that. That in the sense they find the politics unbelievable, damaging and destructive and they see that more clearly than many of the political principles themselves.

Edmond Roy: He’s got a point. Consider this: the Opposition leader of the country is accused of sodomy.
The country’s Deputy Prime Minister is accused of conspiring to quash a murder investigation involving his private secretary and two of his bodyguards.

And last week, the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of having sex with the murder victim, Mongolian translator Altantuya Sharribuu, whose body was blown up with weapons-grade explosives in a forest outside the capital. Continue reading “Authoritarian solution?”

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Anwar seeks sanctuary in Turkish Embassy

Anwar Ibrahim is at the Turkish Embassy in Malaysia for his personal safety. He told me over the phone from the embassy that he had been advised by his friends to seek a safe haven in the country from those who want to do him physical harm.

Whether Anwar’s seeking sanctuary at the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur will lead to a diplomatic row between Malaysia and Turkey is secondary to the primary question as to how to assure and ensure the former Deputy Prime Minister’s personal safety and security in Malaysia.

This is a responsibility the Prime Minister and the Home Minister cannot shirk.

Over to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Syed Hamid Albar.

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Anwar expecting the worst

SMS and phone calls have been flying around of imminent police action against Anwar Ibrahim.

I have spoken to Anwar over the phone and he is expecting the worst.

Malaysiakini had filed the following report two hours ago:

Aide alleges sodomy: Report lodged
Jun 28, 08 11:03pm
Updated June 29, 08 01.30 am

A police report has been lodged against PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly sodomosing one of his aides – the second time that such an accusation had been made in over 10 years.

The report was lodged by the 23-year-old victim at the Jalan Travers police station at 6pm.

KL police chief DCP Muhammad Sabtu Osman has confirmed that the report had been made.

It is learnt that Anwar met with a number of party leaders at an emergency meeting late tonight.

At 11.15pm, PKR sent out an SMS message stating that the police had detained Anwar’s special aide Saiful Bahari this afternoon and forced him to lodge a police report about being sodomised by his boss.

It added that the police are expected to arrest Anwar soon. Continue reading “Anwar expecting the worst”

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Let the great battle to get Anwar back to Parliament begin

Anwar Ibrahim is reported yesterday as saying that “This year is a good timing for a by-election”, with some newspapers like Sin Chew Daily giving it page headline treatment.

I will go one step further. There is no better time than NOW for a by-election for Anwar to get back to Parliament in the wake of the nation-wide anger and outrage at the unconscionably drastic and hefty oil price increases of 41 per cent for petrol and 63 per cent for diesel with no overall plan to cushion their painful impact on the vulnerable sectors of the population.

There is also no awareness or consciousness of the need by the Abdullah government and leadership to set an example of radical change in lifestyles and government expenditures as well as to be fully accountable for the Petronas billions and to begin to institute good governance of accountability, transparency and integrity.

Let the great battle to get Anwar back to Parliament begin!