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14 Dec 2016

D-Day for Anwar

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😻Manja’s mummy Retweeted The Star

😻Manja’s mummy added,

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Malaysia is now at a crossroads, where it can either become a shining success as a developing nation, or be relegated to yet another “failing” Muslim-majority country, jailed de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has said.

“Seventeen years ago my colleagues and I took a defiant stance against autocracy: our ‘Reformasi’ (reform) movement started with a dream of multi-ethnic politics grounded on the principles of reform, inclusivity and justice.

“Fast forward to today, and the movement has evolved into a formidable and vibrant opposition.

“This has put Malaysia at a crossroads: it can either return to its rightful place as a shining political and financial star in a developing world desperate for such successes; or it can descend to the role of yet another Muslim-majority country with a failing democracy and economy,” Anwar said in an opinion piece published in British newspaper The Guardian today.

Malaysia was possibly a bright spot of progress in the Muslim world two decades ago, he said.

Malaysians had believed then, Anwar said, that the combination of economic growth and improving democratic engagement would be an example for other Muslim-majority countries.

However, since then, the country has gone from bad to worse, politically and economically, due to compromised democratic institutions and years of systematic abuse by the ruling elite to maintain their grip on power, he claimed.

“I remain optimistic for our nation and about the victory of our citizens, because the current opposition coalition now even includes former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and an increasing number of his allies defecting from Umno,” Anwar said.

He lamented the crackdown on pro-democracy activists and opposition leaders over the past two years, but noted that despite Umno’s uninterrupted rule since the country’s independence, they “dread a democratic wave sweeping them from power”.

‘Repressive measures of ruling elite’

The ruling elite, he said, has thus resorted to desperate and repressive measures to stem a mass revolt, resulting in forcing the country further into despotism.

This includes criminalising public debates and a exacerbation of racial and religious tensions, he said.

“The latter factor has increased religious extremism to the point that per capita, Malaysia is sending six times the number of foreign fighters to join Islamic State (IS) as our neighbour Indonesia,” Anwar said.

His own imprisonment, he said, also showed that Malaysia still needs unyielding international encouragement and pressure for it to fully realise its “democratic destiny”.

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Final appeal for Anwar in Sodomy II

Jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will find out if he will be acquitted of his Sodomy II conviction or serve out his remaining 16 months of his five-year jail sentence.

The decision on his review application seeking the Federal Court to invoke Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995 and review the decision of the five-member Federal Court panel led by Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria to convict him for Sodomy II will be handed down today.

His supporters plan to hold a rally outside of the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya where the proceedings will take place.

A five-member bench led by Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin and comprising Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Richard Malanjum, Justice Hasan Lah, Justice Abu Samah Nordin and Justice Zaharah Ibrahim had heard the application on Oct 12.

This is Anwar’s last legal avenue to challenge his conviction, failing which he will have to continue serving his sentence until mid-2018.

8.30am: Media personnel, along with the deputy public prosecutors and members of the public, are allowed into Federal Court’s no 2 court room.

The media is seated at the left side at the court while the middle and right side are set aside for the public.

Lawyers Latheefa Koya and N Surendran, who is also the Padang Serai MP, is in court, together with DPPs Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman and Wan Shaharuddin Wan Laden.

Among those in the public gallery include Wangsa Maju MP Dr Tan Kee Kwong.

8.15am: Ahead of the court decision, Free Anwar Now coordinator Yusmadi Yusoff calls for the immediate release of the former deputy prime minister.

“We urge the Federal Court to fully consider and fairly deliberate on the case which has thus far been plagued with many anomalies and inconsistencies, questionable DNA evidence and tampering of critical evidence.

“Questions relating to why the accuser was with the prime minister just days before the incident remain unanswered. There are more questions than there are answers in this case and the uncertainties are valid causes for concern,” says Yusmadi in a statement.

“We appeal that to the learned justices at the Federal Court to appropriately, fairly and rightly consider the circumstances of his case and to take cognisance of the finding of his acquittal at the High Court.”

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Anwar Ibrahim: At the Federal Court
Posted on October 28, 2014

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Sesi mahkamah telah tamat dan ditangguh kepada tarikh yang akan diberitahu kelak untuk keputusan dibacakan. #BebasAnwar #BebasRakyat

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PUTRAJAYA: Two events soon after the conviction of Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy last year were give-aways that there was a political conspiracy to send the former opposition leader to jail, the Federal Court heard today.

Lawyer Gopal Sri Ram said the first was when the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued a statement that the judiciary was independent about 15 minutes after the Federal Court affirmed Anwar’s conviction.

“The speed at which the PMO issued the statement implies they knew the outcome of the verdict,” he said in his submission to review the conviction of Anwar.

The former judge, who is now practising law, added that the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad further affirmed in an affidavit that the Government was opposing Anwar’s review application.

“Why oppose my client’s application if the Government and Umno are not involved in the conspiracy?”

He posed this question before a five-man bench led by Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin.

Tengku Sariffuddin, in his affidavit, had clarified that the PMO had prepared two sets of statements, in case Anwar was convicted or freed as it was a public interest case.

“The other statement was not produced and as such the affidavit is partisan in nature,” he added.

The lawyer said it was also not a practice for the Government to issue statements on court verdicts.

Sri Ram said the conduct of ad-hoc deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Shafee Abdullah after the Federal Court judgment also lent credence to the conspiracy theory.

“He attacked Anwar and made reference to proceedings heard in camera at the road show organised by Umno Youth,” he said, adding that the event indicated the party was delighted with the final outcome of the case.

He said Shafee and the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, were also seen at the residence of Najib Razak, then deputy prime minister, two days before the sodomy took place in June 2008.

“Shafee’s close relationship with Umno and his appointment as DPP was pre-arranged to hoist false evidence to convict Anwar,” he added.

He said Shafee was merely a puppet and the puppet master was elsewhere and this could only be seen after the appeal.

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PETALING JAYA: Some 20 months later, former Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim returns to the Federal Court tomorrow in a much awaited hearing to set aside his sodomy conviction.

Soon after the Federal Court affirmed his guilt and a five-year jail term on Feb 10 last year, the de facto PKR leader filed a review application.

Lawyer Bastian Vendargon said that the Federal Court could use “its inherent but narrow jurisdiction” only in appropriate cases.

The senior lawyer, who specialises in civil cases , said Anwar’s legal team had to convince the bench to first set aside the Feb 10 judgment.

“His lawyers have to satisfy the bench that its narrow jurisdiction can be sparingly exercised to cure a certain injustice,” he told FMT.

He said they have to either show there was a coram failure or the judgment was tainted with illegality, bias or prejudice.

Bastian said the bench could order a rehearing of the appeal before another Federal Court panel only if it was convinced by the arguments put forward by the former deputy prime minister’s counsel.

“His lawyers could argue the merits of the case based on facts and the law only if the earlier judgment is set aside.

“If not, it is all over for Anwar ,” said the lawyer who was the first to file a review in 2000 on behalf of the late journalist, M G G Pillai.

In that case, the Federal Court allowed Pillai’s application to set aside the RM2 million judgment in a defamation case where tycoon Vincent Tan was awarded RM2 million.

However, just before a new bench could rehear the appeal, Pillai passed away.

Gambar sekitar program Solat Hajat untuk pembebasan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. (Gambar kredit kepada sdr Ezam Saidi) #BebasAnwar #BebasRakyat

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#BebasAnwar ‏@BebasAnwar 9h9 hours ago

Semboyan telah berbunyi, Menuju medan bakti! Solidariti di Istana Kehakiman hari Rabu ini. #BebasAnwar #BebasRakyat

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