In the editorial from The Wall Street Journal Asia, the spectre of a repeat of the sham trial 10 years ago was raised, "Anwar's accuser — his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan — is under police protection. It's not a stretch to imagine Anwar's DNA finding its way onto his clothes as "evidence," as that's the tactic the police used back in 1998. Anwar wryly noted at a press conference yesterday that while stripped, the police measured his "necessary parts." Again, that kind of detail would be helpful in a show trial."
It went on to say, "But it's trust in the system itself that's lacking here. Given Anwar's treatment in the judicial system the last time around, it is difficult to believe he would get a fair trial. His arrest is likely to stimulate more support for his cause of a more democratic and free Malaysia."
Anwar's arrest adds to political risk Editorial from The Wall Street Journal Asia JULY 18 — The last time Malaysian democrat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was prosecuted on a trumped-up sodomy charge, we wrote that the government's "crude measures will exact a heavy price in terms of lost credibility." Ten years later, Malaysia's current political leaders should take note. On Wednesday afternoon, Anwar was picked up by policemen in ski masks and hauled to police headquarters. He was interrogated for six hours, stripped and asked to supply a DNA sample — a request he refused. He spent the night on a concrete floor without furniture and was released on bail yesterday morning. Malaysian media report that the government is exploring ways to compel Anwar to give DNA. Anwar's accuser — his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan — is under police protection. It's not a stretch to imagine Anwar's DNA finding its way onto his clothes as "evidence," as that's the tactic the police used back in 1998. Anwar wryly noted at a press conference yesterday that while stripped, the police measured his "necessary parts." Again, that kind of detail would be helpful in a show trial. Ten years ago then-Deputy Prime Minister Anwar was falsely convicted of sodomy and jailed for six years. His conviction was overturned by the high court in 2004. A conviction for abuse of power stood, and Anwar did not become eligible for political office again until April. Today, he heads the country's political opposition and is on a path to the premiership. The same cast of characters from 1998 are in positions of influence today. The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, was the lead investigating officer into Anwar's 1998 case, and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was the lead prosecutor. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak competed with Anwar for the leadership of Umno in the 1990s. Then, as now, Anwar's popularity is a threat to the deputy PM's political future. The government denies the prosecution is politically motivated. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar called the arrest "not a political move," while others have suggested that Anwar has nothing to fear from a "fair" trial. Malaysia's state-run media have fallen into line, too. One headline in the New Straits Times reads: "Trust in the authorities needed to restore calm." But it's trust in the system itself that's lacking here. Given Anwar's treatment in the judicial system the last time around, it is difficult to believe he would get a fair trial. His arrest is likely to stimulate more support for his cause of a more democratic and free Malaysia. The government obtained a court order barring Anwar and the public from going within 5km of Parliament on Monday, the day he was planning to attend a key parliamentary debate. The arrest does more than smear Anwar's good name. It also throws a wrench into the young coalition that Anwar has carefully constructed. The three-party coalition, which includes an ethnic Chinese party and a Muslim party, came together in March elections on an anti-corruption, secular platform that called for more freedoms for all Malaysians. The opposition broke the ruling party's two-thirds parliamentary majority and won five of Malaysia's 13 states. It's now up to those parties to rally around Anwar's cause. The more they do so, the more support they'll receive from the public, which showed in March that they're fed up with corruption and politics as usual. Malaysia's democracy has come a long way since 1998, when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has introduced a number of reforms, including in the judiciary. Malaysia's democratic institutions — and Abdullah's credibility — are now threatened by his government's treatment of Anwar. ...source |
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