Malaysia wearily faces another lurid sodomy trial

Agence France-Presse - 8/10/2008 2:01 AM GMT

Exactly a decade ago, Malaysia was in the economic doldrums, former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim faced sodomy charges, and disbelieving citizens suspected a government conspiracy.

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Fast forward to 2008 -- Anwar has reinvented himself as the figurehead of a thriving opposition, and the country has a serious case of deja vu.

The economy is in a rut, Anwar faces another lurid court case on the same charge, and a majority of Malaysians are convinced the ruling coalition concocted the allegations to once again sabotage his political ambitions.

"People have come to the conclusion that the closer he is to wanting to obtain power, the more difficult others will make it for him to achieve that," said Tricia Yeoh from the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

"A lot of people are very tired, after living through the first sodomy trial... which had a chilling effect on the country, even until today. People thought it was blatant political manoeuvering," she said.

The first time around, Anwar's downfall came after he challenged veteran ruler Mahathir Mohamad. The second time, he was struck down after landmark elections that he said put him within striking distance of seizing power.

The United States and rights group Amnesty International have raised concern over the new charges against Anwar, who was originally convicted in a trial that saw him brought to court with a black eye after a vicious beating from the police chief.

He spent six years in jail until 2004 when the nation's highest court overturned the conviction, allowing him to begin campaigning for his Keadilan party which now leads a three-member opposition alliance.

In March it pulled off an extraordinary feat in general elections, seizing one third of parliamentary seats and five states in the most serious challenge ever faced by the coalition which has ruled for half a century.

Shortly after, Anwar shocked the political elite by saying he would soon form a new administration with the help of defecting government lawmakers -- he needs 30 to switch sides.

The timing of the new charges, days after the charismatic 61-year-old announced he would contest a by-election to return to parliament, has fuelled suspicions of a conspiracy.

A recent survey found just 11 percent of Malaysians believe the accusations that he sodomised a 23-year-old man who was a volunteer at his office.

A full 66 percent believe it is a "politically motivated action to disrupt Anwar Ibrahim's political career", according to the Merdeka Centre poll of 1,030 people last month.

And in sentiments that mirror those of a decade ago, only 33 percent said they had confidence in the judiciary and police who will determine Anwar's fate.

Malaysians interviewed at a Kuala Lumpur petrol station, where they filled up after a recent 41 percent price hike, had strikingly similar views, accusing the government of staging a sideshow to deflect attention from economic woes.

"The new sodomy charges against Anwar Ibrahim are all a political game because he is now a real threat to the prime minister," said Abdul Halim, a 28-year-old designer.

Businessman Mohamad Fazli Farid said the government should focus instead on the plight of ordinary workers who are unable to cope with high fuel and food prices on chronically low wages.

"Anwar was cleared of all the sodomy charges before so what are they trying to prove now? We have all grown up in the last 10 years and people are not so stupid to just accept all these things blindly," he said.

Sodomy is a serious offence which carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment in Malaysia, a conservative and predominantly Muslim country. But the graphic charges do not appear to have dented his popularity.

In the electorate of Permatang Pauh in Anwar's home state, which is expected to return him to office on August 26, voters said they were even more determined to support him.

"It looks like the government is out to fix him again. Everyone knows that the charge against him is nothing but a lie," said 46-year-old Suhaimi Samsuddin.

"The only thing we can do now is to vote for Anwar and make sure he gets to parliament and eventually form the government. Only then can we right all that is wrong in this country."

Malaysia's Anwar says to be charged with sodomy Thursday

source: Agence France-Presse - 8/6/2008 5:01 AM GMT

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday he had been informed he would be formally charged with sodomy on Thursday -- a crime punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.

"They are charging me tomorrow. It's for sodomy," Anwar told AFP, adding that the authorities had informed him of the move in a letter.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was jailed a decade ago on sodomy charges that were later overturned, faces new allegations by a 23-year-old aide, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar has rejected the accusations which he says have been fabricated to prevent him from toppling the government, after landmark March elections that handed the opposition an unprecedented one-third of parliamentary seats.

He announced last week he would contest a by-election for a seat vacated by his wife and earlier Wednesday the Election Commission announced the vote would be held on August 26.

The commission's chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said parties must nominate their candidates on August 16.

"During the by-election, it is important for all parties to follow the orders given by the security authorities and ensure peace and stability," he told reporters.

Anwar, the figurehead of the Keadilan party which heads the three-member opposition alliance, has said he is bracing for "massive" vote-rigging by the government to block him from winning the key ballot.

Keadilan information chief Tian Chua condemned the authorities' decision to hold the vote on a Tuesday, instead of on the weekend which is usual practice.

"I think the reason they are having it on a weekday is to reduce the turnout," he said.

"This is a deliberate action to inconvenience the voters. We condemn the Election Commission for their decision."

"We fear there could be rigging. We urge our supporters not to be complacent, it is going to be a tough battle but we are confident of victory," he said

'Serious concerns' over Malaysian politician's arrest: US

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 12:11 AM GMT

The United States said Wednesday that the arrest of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over sodomy allegations sodomy has raised "serious concerns."

"We believe the detention today of prominent Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim raises serious questions and concerns," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

"We urge Malaysian authorities to resolve this matter in a manner that builds confidence in the impartial rule of law in Malaysia," he said.

Anwar underwent a long interrogation at the Malaysian police headquarters Wednesday and was then taken to hospital for a medical examination and would be held overnight at an undisclosed location, his lawyers said.

Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she feared for his safety, after the events of a decade ago when he was sacked as deputy premier, beaten up by the police chief, and jailed for six years on sodomy and corruption charges.

Anwar has dismissed the latest accusations as a conspiracy to prevent him from rising into power.

The charges threaten to derail his political comeback and his plans to oust the government with the help of defecting lawmakers after landmark March elections that handed the opposition unprecedented gains.

Two US rights groups also expressed concerns about the arrest and hoped the investigation into the sodomy claims was not used as a political tool to silence him.

The arrest "is of great concern to us and the international community," said Lorne Craner, president of the International Republican Institute, and Ken Wollack, president the National Democratic Institute.

They noted that the similar charge filed against him a decade ago was ultimately overturned by Malaysia's Supreme Court.

Craner and Wollack also questioned the timing of the current allegations amid Anwar's re-emergence on the national political scene since a ban on his involvement in politics expired in April 2008.

"We hope that the investigation into the allegation is not used as a political tool to silence an outspoken government critic," they said.

Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is illegal in predominantly Muslim Malaysia and punishable by 20 years imprisonment.

Japan says seeking information on Anwar

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 3:58 AM GMT

Japan said Thursday it will seek information about the arrest of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim during an ASEAN meeting next week.

Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura is due to head next week to Singapore for meetings with his colleagues from the Association of Southeast Asian nations.

"Japan hopes to use the occasion to grasp the situation so as to decide how to react on the matter," chief government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura told reporters.

Anwar was freed on bail Thursday after being arrested on new accusations of sodomy, which he dismissed as a conspiracy to thwart his plans to topple the government.

The US said Wednesday that Anwar's arrest raised "serious concerns".

Japan considers Southeast Asia a key area of influence and entered a free-trade agreement with Malaysia in July last year.

Malaysia's Anwar says victim of 'vendetta'

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 7:48 AM GMT

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he was the victim of a "vendetta", after being held overnight on sodomy accusations levelled by a young male aide.

Anwar, who was released on bail, said he was treated like a "major criminal" and needed medical treatment after a night in a bare cell at Kuala Lumpur police headquarters which aggravated a back injury.

"Dumped in a cell to sleep on a cold cement floor with nothing... that has exacerbated the pain," said Anwar, who was arrested Wednesday by a team of police commandos.

"I don't deserve this -- no Malaysian deserves this. Why treat me like a major criminal?" he told a press conference, adding that he was subjected to an examination which included the measuring of his genitals.

"They have seen all my private parts. Of course I refused to be photographed, it could be on YouTube very soon! You mean I can trust the system?"

Anwar rejected the allegations levelled by 23-year-old aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan as another conspiracy, following the events of 1998 when he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sodomy and corruption counts.

"It appears that the events of the last few days, the nature of my unwarranted arrest, my overnight incarceration which was actually absolutely unnecessary, were an act of personal vengeance against me," he said.

"They should not use this as a personal vendetta against me."

Anwar said he was being targeted because of allegations he has made against the attorney-general and chief of police over his treatment during his original trial.

He has lodged a police report accusing them of manipulating evidence in an investigation into the severe beating he received when he was in police custody at the time.

The 60-year-old opposition leader defended his decision not to give a DNA sample during Wednesday's examination, saying he had no faith in the system after fabricated DNA evidence was used against him in his trial a decade ago.

"My decision to refuse a DNA test is taken through advice of my lawyers and DNA experts," he said.

And he criticised the decision to arrest him, when he had agreed to face police interrogation at a meeting scheduled just an hour after he was picked up by police.

"I am disappointed with the way the police have handled this whole situation," he said.

Conspiracy fears in Malaysia as opposition targeted again

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 8:32 AM GMT

The timing of sodomy allegations against Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim has raised suspicions of a conspiracy, coming shortly after he emerged as an unprecedented threat to the government's 50-year rule.

The 60-year-old opposition leader had only just mounted an astonishing political comeback after his downfall a decade ago when he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges.

After wresting a third of parliamentary seats in March elections, his ambitions of seizing power with the help of government defectors have been stalled by the allegations he assaulted a 23-year-old male aide.

Despite agreeing to submit to police questioning, he was arrested Wednesday by commandos in balaclavas who swooped on his car near his home, and held overnight in dramatic scenes criticised as an over-reaction.

"The latest developments indicate we are moving towards a police state," said Param Cumaraswamy, an adviser to Anwar and a former UN special rapporteur on legal issues.

"It is no doubt a little difficult for a political party that has been in power for 50 years to have such a large opposition in parliament now. I think they are fearful of losing power," he said.

"Whatever is happening, it is very counterproductive to the government. It is certainly not going to put the government in a positive light."

The March elections have redrawn the political landscape by establishing an opposition with a real chance of unseating the mighty Barisan Nasional coalition, made up of parties that represent each of Malaysia's races.

It has threatened the very existence of its lead party, the United Malays National Organisation, which represents the rights of Muslims who dominate the population, in a country also home to ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

Anwar has said he will cast aside race-based politics and, with the help of Barisan Nasional defectors, create a new administration free of the corruption and cronyism that has become rampant at all levels of society.

With so much at stake, the timing of the new accusations against Anwar is extraordinary.

But Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar on Thursday rejected the conspiracy allegations and said Malaysia was well aware its reputation was at stake.

"We are now under international pressure because of the various allegations, so we need to be careful in what we do," he said, dismissing Anwar's actions as a ploy to create sympathy at home and abroad.

"(Anwar) has created some negative perceptions. He has strong supporters in the international arena, he has conditioned the mind of the people that he is going to become prime minister and that we are going to stop him," he said.

Cynicism towards the government is running high and the Merdeka Centre research firm said its surveys found that just one in 10 Malaysians believe the allegations against Anwar.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, many citizens have lost their faith in the judiciary and police which the Barisan Nasional has been accused of using for its own ends during the long years in power since independence from Britain.

"There is a significant amount of public scepticism over the allegations towards Anwar, and also whether or not the case is genuine or if it's politically motivated," said Merdeka Centre pollster Ibrahim Suffian.

However, he said that the mass protests which greeted Anwar's arrest a decade ago are unlikely to be repeated since the elections gave the opposition a more prominent stage to air its views.

"The Malaysian public has matured a lot since 1998," he said. They may not come out on the streets but they may certain use their vote differently."

Malaysia's Anwar released after arrest on sodomy charges

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 10:31 AM GMT


Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday he was the victim of a "vendetta" after spending a night in custody over sodomy allegations that threaten to destroy his ambitions of seizing power.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who has mounted a comeback after being sacked and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges a decade ago, said he was treated like a "major criminal" and subjected to an examination of his genitals.

After being freed on police bail, he said he needed medical attention for an old back injury that flared up during a night in a bare cell at Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.

"Dumped in a cell to sleep on a cold cement floor with nothing... that has exacerbated the pain," he told a press conference. "I don't deserve this -- no Malaysian deserves this. Why treat me like a major criminal?"

"They have seen all my private parts. Of course I refused to be photographed, it could be on YouTube very soon!"

Anwar rejected the allegations levelled by 23-year-old aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who accused the opposition leader of sexually assaulting him at a luxury condo last month, saying it was a conspiracy.

"It appears that the events of the last few days, the nature of my unwarranted arrest, my overnight incarceration which was actually absolutely unnecessary, were an act of personal vengeance against me," he said.

Anwar said he was being targeted because of allegations he has made against Malaysia's attorney-general and chief of police over his treatment during his trial a decade ago.

"They should not use this as a personal vendetta against me."

The 60-year-old opposition leader defended his decision not to give a DNA sample during the examination, saying he had no faith in the system after fabricated DNA evidence was used against him at his earlier trial.

And he criticised the decision to send police commandos to arrest him Wednesday, even though he had agreed to appear for interrogation at a meeting scheduled just an hour later.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar defended the authorities' actions and rejected allegations the government was trying to derail Anwar's plans of forming a new administration with the help of government defectors.

Anwar's opposition alliance made stunning gains in March elections, winning a third of parliamentary seats and control of five states in a result that has redrawn Malaysia's political landscape.

"We are now under international pressure because of the various allegations, so we need to be careful in what we do," Syed Hamid said.

"(He) has created some negative perceptions. He has strong supporters in the international arena, he has conditioned the mind of the people that he is going to become prime minister and that we are going to stop him."

Syed Hamid criticised Anwar for not giving a blood sample, saying that if he was interested in determining the truth, "simply give the DNA and let the experts read the DNA".

Deputy police chief Ismail Omar said Anwar could be hit with a court order to force him to give a sample, and defended police tactics, saying there was a "reasonable suspicion" to arrest him.

"There was credible suspicion, credible information based on all the evidence that we had gathered," he told reporters.

Under the bail conditions, Anwar is required to report back to police on August 18.

Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is illegal in predominantly Muslim Malaysia and punishable by 20 years imprisonment.

In remarks certain to infuriate Malaysia's government, which has attacked Anwar as a "snitch" for the United States, the US State Department said Wednesday that the arrest raised "serious concerns".

Malaysia earlier this month issued a formal protest to the United States over its earlier comments on the investigation into the sodomy allegations, accusing it of meddling in its internal affairs.

Malaysian blogger charged with defaming deputy PM's wife

Agence France-Presse - 7/17/2008 10:28 AM GMT

A prominent Malaysian blogger was charged with defamation Thursday over a sworn statement in which he linked the deputy prime minister's wife to a sensational murder.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a close friend of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, has been charged with abetting the murder of 28-year-old Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, whose body was blown up with explosives.

Two police officers from an elite force, whose duties included guarding the prime minister and Najib, were also charged with the killing.

Police on Thursday charged Raja Petra Kamaruddin, founder and editor of the Malaysia Today website, after he lodged a statement in court last month linking Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor with the murder.

"He will be facing three charges for criminal defamation on the two colonels and Rosmah, the deputy prime minister's wife," the blogger's wife Marina Lee told reporters.

The military personnel were mentioned in Raja Petra's statement, but are not facing any charges.

Najib -- who is heir apparent to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi -- has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying he had never even met the murdered woman, and that it was an attempt to tarnish his political career.

Raja Petra, 57, arrived at police headquarters to face the charges, in a defiant mood and accompanied by supporters and fellow bloggers.

"I am ready to face my day in court," he told reporters.

Raja Petra already faces a sedition charge after an article he wrote in May which also implicated Najib and his wife in the case.

The trial on that charge will begin on October 6. If convicted, he faces three years in jail.