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Friday, 07-May-2004 10:33 AM Anwar’s hearing attracts international attention The Malaysian government is of the impression that Anwar Ibrahim is no longer relevant, and quite forgotten, in particular by the International community. And it has said so. In fact, said the government, the result of the recently concluded general election on 21 March 2004 only reinforces this opinion. You believe this? Then you would probably believe that one-time Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the most ideal advisor for Malaysia’s national petroleum company, Petronas. This is the whole problem with propaganda campaigns and psychological warfare, or ‘psywar’ for short. And I find this a problem with the opposition as well. When you spin a yarn often enough, people start to believe it. As they say, “A lie repeated frequently eventually becomes the truth.” But when spun too often, then you start believing it yourself. This is a classic case of becoming a victim of your own propaganda. So much so, even the Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders are now no longer able to separate fact from fiction. The statements and TV ‘special reports’ that are blasted into your living room day after day paint an extremely bleak scenario of the opposition’s and Anwar’s fortunes. If so, asked Anwar recently, why does the government still keep him incarcerated, refuses him bail, and forbids him from going to Germany for his much needed spinal injury -- as recommended by the government’s own specialists and surgeons on top of that? The government realises Anwar is still relevant. It realises Anwar is not forgotten, not by Malaysians nor by the International community. And that is why it dreads the idea of a free Anwar. This Monday, 10 May 2004, Anwar will, yet again, face the Federal Court in the ironically named Palace of Justices in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative centre. This is the final leg of his almost six years battle for freedom that commenced with his arrest on 20 September 1998. Anwar will be appealing both against his conviction and nine year sentence for the alleged crime of sodomy as well as will be applying for bail, which thus far has been denied. But Anwar will not be alone in his final battle for freedom. Granted there will not be the tens of thousands of supporters outside the court like in the days of 1998 and 1999. And the government will certainly make mileage out of this. But where it lacks quantity, it will be compensated for by quality. Most foreign embassies will be sending representatives to follow the hearing and to report back to their countries the progress and outcome of the hearing. If you were to hear the sarcastic remarks made by these foreign observers as they took notes at the previous hearings, you will realise that, in their opinion, the entire episode is nothing but a farce. Further to that Amnesty International, which has more than 1.5 million members in about 150 countries, and which has classified Anwar as a ‘Prisoner of Conscience’, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), and the International Bar Association (IBA) are all sending representatives to attend the hearing. The IPU will be represented by Marzuki Darusman, Indonesia’s former Attorney-General, the IBA by Fornando from Sri Lanka, and the ICJ by Rajiv Dawan from India. Also in attendance will be Queen's Counsel Mark Trowell representing the Western Australian Bar Council. In the meantime, Anwar’s solicitors have requested a five-men panel of judges from the current three. Further to that, the lawyers have filed an Affidavit asking the Federal Court to reconsider the disputed issue of Anwar’s alibi that was denied by the previous Court of Appeal. Anwar’s alibi is very crucial to his case for, if considered, as it should be, then it can prove Anwar could never have committed those crimes he was alleged of as he never near ‘the scene of the crime’. In fact, in the absence of this alibi, the prosecution’s entire case rests solely on the testimony of its star witness. This witness, however, the so-called victim of the sodomy act, not only contradicted himself so many times during the trial, but even at one point retracted his allegation and testified three times that Anwar never sodomised him. The trial judge was so infuriated with this witness that he remarked the witness is so unreliable he cannot even answer simple questions. “He says one thing today and another tomorrow,” retorted the judge. Then, in an about turn, the judge ruled that the witness’ testimony is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. If Anwar fails in his final appeal, he would have to stay in the Sungai Buloh Prison up to at least 14 April 2009. This is considering he gets a one-third remission on his nine-year sentence. If not, he would have to remain there until 14 April 2012. Anwar completed his first six-year jail sentence for his ‘corruption’ conviction on 14 April 2003 when the six years was reduced to four after a one-third remission. However, after more than a year into his second sentence, Anwar is still haggling with the courts over his bail and appeal. In Malaysia, the saying “justice delayed is justice denied” does not apply. Introduction to the Anwar Ibrahim Appeal Hearing Anwar Ibrahim's Appeal Hearing Archives IPU asks that Anwar Ibrahim be allowed surgery in Germany The Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Resolution on Anwar Ibrahim Anwar Verdict "A Step Backwards": Human Rights Watch Anwar verdict - A door has opened that cannot be closed: Amnesty International Trial of Anwar Ibrahim: A Defining Moment for Human Rights in Malaysia: Amnesty International
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