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Anwar, not Malaysia, on trial, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR — A federal minister today (Oct 28) sought to deflect allegations of political persecution in Mr Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy appeal, saying it was only the opposition leader’s conduct that was being judged and not the country’s.

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim leaves court for lunch at the Palace of Justice during his final appeal against a conviction for sodomy, in Putrajaya October 28, 2014. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim leaves court for lunch at the Palace of Justice during his final appeal against a conviction for sodomy, in Putrajaya October 28, 2014. Photo: Reuters

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KUALA LUMPUR — A federal minister today (Oct 28) sought to deflect allegations of political persecution in Mr Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy appeal, saying it was only the opposition leader’s conduct that was being judged and not the country’s.

In a Facebook post, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin denounced as “propaganda” the attempts to put Putrajaya and the judiciary in the dock over what he categorised as an entirely private affair involving Mr Anwar and the accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

“This is not about Malaysia. This is about Anwar. This is about an individual and what he allegedly did. No one forced him to do it. The government certainly did not force him to do it. So go for your appeal, but don’t drag the country with you,” Mr Khairy wrote in the post today.

He also disputed claims that Mr Anwar’s trial demonstrated the lack of independence in the Malaysian judiciary, which has been accused of colluding with Putrajaya in a purported political conspiracy to end the political career of the former deputy prime minister.

Such allegations stem largely from Mr Anwar’s high-profile trial and conviction for sodomy in 1998, for which he was later acquitted.

Mr Khairy pointed out that it was illogical to claim that Malaysia’s courts were not free when decisions did not go in favour of the opposition and to turn around to laud its independence in times of legal victory.

He pointed out that Mr Anwar had filed numerous defamation suits against rivals, including Mr Khairy, and won several of these in the same judicial system that critics are now denigrating.

“It goes both ways, Anwar. You cannot just accept the decisions that go your way. You cannot have double standards in how you accept decisions from our courts,” Mr Khairy added.

The Umno Youth leader also pointed out the unusual leeway granted to Mr Anwar during his second sodomy trial that began in 2008, saying the case took years to conclude owing to, among others, 67 postponements.

Mr Anwar’s case has raised suspicions of conspiracy due to circumstances surrounding it, including a meeting between the accuser Mr Saiful and a high-ranking government official on the eve of the allegation in 2008.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers also took the unusual route of appointing Umno-linked lawyer Muhd Shafee Abdullah to lead the ultimately-successful challenge to the Court of Appeal against Anwar’s acquittal.

Mr Shafee is again leading the prosecution in Mr Anwar’s appeal to the Federal Court.

The High Court had in 2012 acquitted Mr Anwar of the 2008 charge but the appellate court ruled on March 7 this year that the trial judge had erred when rejecting the DNA evidence produced in the case.

Mr Anwar has repeatedly maintained his innocence, insisting that the charges were trumped up to kill his political career as he allegedly poses a threat to the Barisan Nasional coalition’s decades-long rule with the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, which he now leads.

If Mr Anwar fails to reverse his five-year imprisonment sentence and conviction in the Federal Court tomorrow, he would lose his seat as the law bars anyone fined RM2,000 or imprisoned for one year from serving as a lawmaker. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE

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