Reports indicate that Anwar Ibrahim was seen at the Desa Damansara condominium in Damansara Heights where the alleged crime is said to have taken place. A security guard told the Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times (NST) that Anwar had entered the heavily-guarded premises with his driver and bodyguard. There is no mention of the accuser by the informant.

However, the informant who is a security guard at the expensive condominium said he recalled seeing Anwar entering the parking lot about a month ago. The alleged crime is said to have been committed on 26^th June.

Unless the accusers have further evidence of the act, the case will be resonant of what the people have seen in 1998 onwards.

Many observers believe the case against Anwar, a conspiracy they maintain, stands on very flimsy grounds and that it may collapse in the court with Anwar’s promise of information about his alibi on the day of the alleged crime.

"I will fight these allegations day and night and I won't accept defeat over this evil and lies," he said, adding that his accuser was being manipulated by powerful forces; it was reported by the AFP.

"He just became a pawn in their game to attack me. I'm sad that the young boy has ended up in this way." Sodomy is a criminal offense in this conservative country which is predominantly Muslim.

In the event the police prosecute the case – which looks more likely – then it will be a battle in which the judge will have to decide on the words of the Leader of the Opposition against a young man.

Anwar Ibrahim dismissed the sodomy accusation, saying he has a strong alibi to prove his innocence.

“I have ample proof and witnesses,” he said at a packed press conference at the PKR headquarters here yesterday.

The PKR de facto leader declined to elaborate on his whereabouts on Thursday night last week, saying he had been advised by his lawyers to refrain from doing so.

In the past, Anwar Ibrahim had complained that his personal diary was taken away from him by police officers and that they never returned the diary to him. This time he said he has all the necessary documents and witnesses to support his alibi, which will make it difficult for the prosecution.

The Malaysian government on its part insisted that the issue must be treated as a non-political one since it was more or less a moral crime. From the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to his Deputy Najib Tun Razak and several members of the United Malays National Organization (Umno), the focus is borne on the fact that it is a moral issue.

The authorities urged the opposition not to politicize the sodomy accusation against Anwar Ibrahim and this is fairly understandable. The government cannot afford a political crisis after losing its 2/3^rd majority in Parliament. It cannot altogether see its opponent number one, Anwar Ibrahim become a ‘martyr’ literally with yet another sodomy accusation.

And this is what is happening exactly. Conspiracy or not, the one thing with such cases which involves a strong opposition leader is it will be politicized and the publicity around it will turn the accused into a political martyr in the event the prosecution goes forward with a case in court.

In 1998, the opposition was weak and battered by a long spell of economic successes under Tun Mahathir Mohamad. While the economy plunged to a historic low with the currency crash and the stock market dash to the ground, the Malaysian government was still a very strong one with a meager opposition in Parliament.

In 2008, the situation is totally different. The PR controls 5 states, they won a large percentage of votes in the last general elections and framing Anwar Ibrahim with yet another sodomy case – in the event it is a conspiracy – can only bring the scorn of the people against the weakened Barisan National (BN). Certainly Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not expect to have to deal with the wrath of the general public with the buildup of such a case against the man he freed from jail in 2004.

A genuine Abdullah Badawi rejected the accusations of the opposition that it is the Umno or the BN that were behind the crime, which the opposition said was a repeat of the 1998 saga. Embattled within his own party, challenged by BN component parties, pressed by the rising tide against his government after the oil price increase, the Prime Minister is surely wishing the clouds were brighter for him.

The political implications – which are very huge indeed – in this new Dark Age in Malaysia’s history, are not to be dismissed. It will be a terrible error by the regime in place to ignore the political consequences of the upcoming case against Anwar Ibrahim. Eliminating Anwar Ibrahim from the political scene will surely be a boost for the BN since it may stop the political canvassing by the opposition for BN MP’s to jump the bandwagon.

It will also consolidate the position of the BN government, making it easier for it to run the country and to push its own agenda. The opposition does not have a man of Anwar’s caliber to push for the collapse of the BN if Anwar is checkmated. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will be reduced to a toothless bulldog, waiting for the next general elections to suffer setbacks just like in 2004. Or is that what will happen in the event of a successful move to sideline Anwar Ibrahim from local politics?

The possibility of a mass movement to disrupt the peace of the coalition in power will surely be in the making if the accusations against Anwar prove to be fabricated. Needless to say that if it is proven that Anwar is responsible for the act which the PKR de-facto leader called ‘evil’, then his entire political career would be gone in thin air.

What political ramifications can we expect from the accusation against Anwar? Mass demonstrations in favor of Anwar, the like that has been reported from the Shah Alam ‘meet the people’ session with Anwar Ibrahim organized by the PKR. Some reports say 7000 people came to listen to their leader. Other reports put it at 15,000. Given the capacity of the stadium, it will be tantalizing to believe that it was a huge crowd indeed.

The PKR said Anwar Ibrahim will embark on a nationwide road show to defend himself against the sodomy allegations thrown at him. Anwar’s chief of staff Ibrahim Yaakob confirmed the news today, stating that the meetings would be similar to the one at Malawati Stadium.

According to Ibrahim the idea for the road show was initially conceived weeks ago and it was originally meant to be ‘meet the people’ sessions. “However due to current events, the tour will now have a double focus. Firstly, to clear his name and secondly, to speak to the public about his plans for Malaysia’s future,” Ibrahim said.

Accused of sodomy and unable to press for a by-election, Anwar is temporarily on the sidelined but this does not stop him from showing a strong determination to bring the current regime down. As a matter of fact, the accusation seemed to have emboldened Anwar and the PR while it has resulted in a gross defacing of the image of the BN. The impact of this negative flux against the BN in the Anwar Ibrahim case story will be felt very quickly in the event Anwar manage to force a by-election and is the candidate after his name is cleared.

Yet, while the case is ongoing, the BN can manage its business as usual while waiting for the prosecution to put together a very solid case against Anwar. If they succeed to do so, then the PR will surely cry foul and the idea of a conspiracy will float heavily in the minds of the public. There is already a strong refusal by the public in general of the idea that Anwar is guilty and that this time he is going down for good. The general public, if their opinion were to be asked, is hoping that Anwar succeeds to clear his name the fastest possible in order for them to tick their votes in the event a by-election is called for Anwar to enter Parliament.

Abdullah Badawi has said that it was not for his government to harm any politicians and that it was ridiculous to claim that his party or coalition was behind a conspiracy against Anwar. This did not go well in the general public but the Prime Minister could not do better than deny the accusations against his government.

This case will nevertheless demand more than a simple denial from the leader of the government since, known as Mr Nice Guy and still respected as such, the Prime Minister will have to cross his fingers and wish that the case does not become yet another failed saga. His government, as said earlier, is not in need of another scandal that will do nothing but split the Malay-Muslim community in the first place but also destroy the image of the BN further in the event Anwar wins this case triumphantly.

In the end, it is still a case in which the words of a respected leader will be weighed by a court of law against that of a man exposed as a mole.

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Hope peace remains
written by Giga Solo, July 02, 2008

My biggest fear is that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim may end up losing his life in this battle. Any one of the BN thugs in power could easily hire goons to take him out....cough...C4....cough....killer......cough.

I hope he stays safe, and continues his quest to free Malaysia. I don't wanna see Zimbabwe happen here.

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