December 14, 2011
UK’s The Guardian: Guilty verdict against Anwar Ibrahim will hurt Malaysia’s reputation
by Malaysiakini
Influential British newspaper The Guardian says Anwar Ibrahim will likely be handed a guilty verdict in the Sodomy II trial, and warned that it will severely hurt Malaysia’s reputation in terms of democracy.
In a hard-hitting column by Assistant Editor Simon Tidall, said the only person to blame should this happen is Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Tidall warned that “the portents do not look good” for Anwar, as the case winds to a close.
Plying scathing criticism over what he sees as Najib’s “authoritarian tendencies” and “blatant scare-mongering”, the foreign affairs columnist urged Malaysia’s Western allies to “take a closer look at their friend”.
“Malaysia is valued as a trading partner, counter-proliferation collaborator, and non-combatant member of the Afghanistan coalition. But the government’s human rights record and democratic practices merit closer scrutiny…
“As Anwar’s ordeal approaches an ugly climax, it seems increasingly unlikely that these benchmarks will be met. The next question is: what will Malaysians and their friends do about it?”
According to Tidall, the sodomy charges, which were levelled soon after Pakatan Rakyat took over five states in the 2008 general election, “hardly seems coincidental”. “As the charismatic leader of the opposition coalition, Anwar represents the biggest challenge to (Najib’s) continuing ascendancy,” he says.
Describing the Prime Minister as someone “born to power” and “accustomed to wielding it”,
Tidall argued that Najib’s flat rejection of a conspiracy against Anwar was suspect, considering the latter’s 1998 sodomy charge. “The recycling of sodomy accusations… suggests a lack of originality characteristic of the Prime Minister,” Tidall says.
‘Najib becoming paranoid’
The Assistant Editor also opined that the timing of the impending verdict, alongside the lead-up to the 13th general election, also lends credence to the conspiracy theory.“Najib gives every appearance of preparing for snap polls on the assumption that Anwar will be out of the way and the opposition (will be) decapitated,” he said.
Adding to this, he said, is the recently-passed Peaceful Assembly Bill, which Tidall sees as a sign that Najib is not taking any chances.
Coming on the tails of the Bersih 2.0 rally in July, he said that the Bill “reneged on shaky, post-July promises of civil rights reforms” and shows that Najib is succumbing to “paranoia”.
“Now Najib is taking no chances as his lieutenants warn that Anwar is fomenting an Arab Spring-style uprising – a so-called ’hibiscus revolution’… ,” writes Tidall.
“But… Khairy Jamaluddin, UMNO’s Youth-wing leader, articulated Najib’s paranoia last month when he accused Anwar’s coalition of ‘trying hard to manufacture panic and disorder’ by promoting street rallies instead of elections.”
Anwar has been charged with sodomising his then aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 26, 2008. Following submissions earlier this week, the defence is due to reply tomorrow to points made by the prosecution. Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah will then set a date for the verdict.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
UMNO doesn’t care what you think, Le Guardian. Most people who read you might agree with you but it wouldn’t mean anything to rural folks who have no idea what The Guardian is. They are the ones who are going to cast the votes. Knowing UMNO, they are probably going to use this against the opposition by accusing them to be foreign agents.
The upright judge Komathy Suppiah (my classmate in secondary school) was removed from being the presiding judge in Sodomy 2. The case was moved from her jurisdiction. Tells us something, doesn’t it?
I think you’re only partially right, didi.
UMNO may not care, but Jibs has a remarkably thin skin being the spoilt brat that he is. He relies on the armor from FLOM. That one has Chobham Armor. From what i understand, even his deputy is keeping mum and watching with glee mixed with turpitude.
What does the Mat Salleh know. They only think of Anwar. They don’t think of Saiful who is the real victim. And why blame Najib when he is totally innocent of all this. Only Anwar is dragging him along.
Saiful is the victim?
Only if constipation over 48hrs kill. I presume you know what sai-ful really means, don’t you? Or you are a totally oblivious to the facts of the case.
Go crap elsewhere “Saiz34A”.
I assume any sexual assault “victim” can just walk into the DPM’s house anytime of the day, right makcik? Saiful is a victim. A victim of his own lies.
Why couldn’t Saiful say no or refuse any advances, Makcik? He is after all a grown man. Saiful can’t even decide whether it was a consensual act or rape. Tell him to decide on that one first, then we all can decide whether he’s a victim or not.
Najib better be prepared for the backlash from Malay electorates just like what happened in 1999 if AI is convicted.
But this time around there will not be any non- Malay voters especially the Chinese to come to BN’s rescue.
Mak Cik, go watch Kumar the stand up comedian from Singapore describing the pleasures of digging one’s ears. Which one feels the pleasure, the ear or the finger?
Anyway Mak Cik, you are not a Mak Cik but a resurrection from someone in the past on this blog. Your writings and arguments used betray that identity.
You seem to flip flop from one character to another and often forgetting what you wrote in previous posting and thus contradicting yourself. Try better Mak Cik or is it………….?
Dear Guardian,please tell your european/eastern allies that you don’t have to go to the African continent for Mugabe sytle of goverment,we have our very own here,if you people really care or mean what you say about equality n fairplay,democrazy ectera2,then please pay attention to what will become of your Far East Trading partner,am sure you wouldn’t want to trade with a rogue nation,your citizen will know of your preferances and closing of 1 eye.So much for your blah3.
my ex told me that if you go jogging in Central Park its better to take a 20$ bill in case you get mugged.
in malaysia it is implied that the risk of sodomee is so high that you have to have a tube of lubricant always ready.
umno – boleh!
Mak Cik, the Mat Sallehs are laughing their head off at people like you.
how many avatars do you have?
a guilty verdict would improve the chances of PR in GE13. thats why I believe the verdict will somehow come after the GE. if he wins they’ll lock him up or declare an emergency. if he looses he’ll be acquitted and business as usual.
Do you guys really need to give this character Makcik or moid or malaysia bolah his fifteen minutes of fame??
It’s a personal issue between Anwar and Saiful. If he is found not guilty, good. If he found innocent, also good. We respect the courts. It does not affect the nation’s reputation at all.
Ah ha “It’s a personal issue between Anwar and Saiful” Mak Cik. What the hell is UMNO, the Police, the AG and the Courts doing to look under their sarongs? Like you said it’s personal so why these people have to intrude into their bedroom? Don’t these people have anything better to do? They are PERVERTS.
You also said “It does not affect the nation’s reputation”. Like hell it does. By virtue of falsely trying DSAI for sodomy, Malaysians are being labelled perverts and sickos. Are you proud to be called a pervert? I’m not and I abhor the actions of UMNO, Police, and AG for dragging Malaysia through the muck and the nation being catergorised as uncivilized and its citizen weirdos.
Makcik is clearly ignorant of the law:
Sec 377 Penal Code. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years and shall also be liable to fine or whipping.
Go get some education.
Personal issue? What crock!
In the U.S. in some states, sodomy is still on the books and is a crime. But it is law that is never enforced. If enforced half the adult population both male and female would be in jail. In the remaining states sodomy laws have been repealed as recent as the ’70s.