Inglorious verdict (II)
About 16 months ago, the international community questioned the fairness of Malaysia's judicial system and the validity of its court's verdict that sent former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to prison, because the verdict contained political overtones which deprived reformist Anwar of his rights. Despite the flimsy evidence during the trial, Anwar was convicted of corruption and abuse of power and got a six-year prison sentence.
On Tuesday, another nine-year prison sentence was passed on Anwar for sodomy, a charge that the charismatic Malaysian reformist had strongly denied. Insisting on his innocence, Anwar has repeatedly said that he has been a victim of a political conspiracy by his former mentor, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who has been 19 years in power, because of Anwar's determination to uphold justice and create a clean government.
Given the weak evidence in the 14-month sodomy trial -- the longest in Malaysia's judicial history -- and the testimony of several witnesses who claimed to have made false confessions under duress, it is understandable that Tuesday's verdict has outraged not only Anwar's supporters but also the world community.
At home, Chandra Muzafar, deputy president of Parti Keadilan (National Justice Party) which is chaired by Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, said the sentence was harder than expected, reflecting "how cruel (and) how oppressive is this regime and Dr. Mahathir". Likewise, other opposition parties dubbed the eventful Tuesday as "the black day for democracy and justice in Malaysia" and the verdict as an erosion of the independency of the country's judiciary.
Overseas condemnations came from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States which, expressing their support for the jailed Anwar, said that his conviction was politically motivated and a result of a flawed trial. The London-based Amnesty International called for Anwar's immediate release on the grounds that he is merely a prisoner of conscience.
While the Jakarta government -- like most other governments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), that includes Malaysia -- have declined to comment on the Anwar saga, possibly because bound by the so-called, questionable ASEAN policy of noninterference. Many analysts here believe that the verdict is a step backward for Malaysia's judicial and political systems.
The analysts say that the Malaysian government is insensitive to the rapid pace of reforms currently taking place in the region where people's demands for greater political liberalization and freedom of expression have been voiced louder than ever.
Anwar's dismissal and imprisonment in 1998 has eroded support of Muslim Malays for Mahathir's ruling coalition and destabilized the country politically. This was apparent in the results of last November's general election. Still the Kuala Lumpur government plods blindly along with no changes to its 19-year old vision. Then there is the rising militancy of certain fringe groups as was evidenced by the recent daring daylight arms heist by extremists in Malaysia's northern state of Perak.
Mahathir, perhaps, should learn from the Indonesian experience. The feared, authoritarian regime of former president Soeharto, who now lives in disgrace under city arrest for alleged corruption and nepotism, was toppled and he was cast out when he failed to respond to the people's demands for reform and democracy. Failing that, he should hearken to the everlasting Latin saying: Vox populi vox Dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God.