Pakatan Rakyat and leaders from both local and international civil society groups have condemned Prime Minister Najib Razak for forcing through what they say is clearly a sham sodomy trial against reform icon Anwar Ibrahim.
The 62-year old Anwar, who is also Opposition Leader of the Pakatan, is being victimized a second time by Najib's Umno-BN coalition, which fears his charismatic leadership and growing clout with voters may end their 52 years of political hegemony. In 2008, the Pakatan won control of five states and for the first time denied Umno-BN its long-held two-thirds parliamentary majority.
On Tuesday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court quashed Anwar’s application for a stay of his sodomy trial pending his appeal for a judicial review of last week’s Federal Court decision not to allow his lawyers access to key evidence held by the prosecution. The sodomy trial proper will now resume on Wednesday at 2.30pm.
Although not unexpected - given the Malaysian judiciary's record of bowing to political pressure - the refusal for more time pending documents still sparked renewed outrage both within the country and overseas.
“Even in 1998, the international community made it very clear the sodomy charges put up by Dr Mahathir against Anwar were rigged. Yet 11 years later, Malaysia is once again on trial for the world to see and for the same reason, which is basically that of having a morally bankrupt government," Azman said.
“This speaks very poorly about our current Prime Minister Najib Razak. That in 2010, he has to revert to an old script using new actors show firstly, his morals are no better than his predecessors, and secondly, he has no ideas of his own. Definitely, he is not the man to lead Malaysia."
And despite portraying itself as the defender of Islam in the country, Najib's Umno party has pulled out all stops to keep the case out of the Syariah Courts, where Islamic laws decree there must be at least four witnesses before a trial such as this can proceed. Otherwise it is fitnah or slander most foul.
“This is exactly why the Malays and the Muslims are turning away from Umno. They keep talking about championing Islam and yet it is obvious to all that the Syariah Court unnecessarily delayed hearing the case. Why?” Azman said.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the majesty and fairness of Islamic law, yet Umno shies away from it. Why? After all, both accuser and accused are Muslims and both are agreeable to having the case tried under Islamic law.
"Could it be that this is because the Islamic courts demand a higher level of evidence for cases of this type - and which both Saiful and Umno cannot produce, hard as they try.”
“The nation is about to go on another round of agony and humiliation,” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Harakahdaily. “What we are witnessing is a dying regime’s last ditch bid to stay alive at any cost.”
“This trial is unfair and against Islamic law which emphasizes fair play. It certainly will exact a very drastic toll on Malaysia - both on the morale of its people and the well-being of its economy,” Dr Syed Azman, head of PAS’s international bureau, told Harakahdaily.
source:harakahdaily
The matinee goes on show today, new script, new actor and the same old directors.........
cheers.
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