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Malaysia: Showdown with US over Anwar arrest?

Written by Staff Writer
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Accused of sodomy, Anwar Ibrahim refused to give DNA samples in a bid to battle any possibility of the police planting evidence in the case against him. The ongoing tug of war between the opposition and the police force in Malaysia adds to the growing political tension in the largely Muslim country. Will Malaysia look for a showdown with US over the arrest? In what seemed a reprise of one of the more unusual moments in recent Malaysian history, police officers wearing ski masks seized the country’s most prominent opposition politician, Anwar Ibrahim, on Wednesday and took him to jail on suspicion of sodomy. After saying he would be freed, the police held Mr. Anwar in custody for at least one night. The arrest was likely to add to political tensions that have grown since the governing party suffered the biggest losses in its history in an election in March. Mr. Anwar, 61, has strongly denied the accusation of sodomy, which was made last month by a 23-year-old male aide. He called it a political fabrication by the same governing establishment that convicted him on charges of sodomy and corruption in 1998. The sodomy charge was later overturned. Sex between males is against the law in Malaysia. After his previous arrest, tens of thousands of supporters challenged the government in the streets. The manner of Mr. Anwar’s arrest on Wednesday seemed intended to intimidate and to challenge the opposition as much as to enforce the law, says a report from the New York Times. The political battle between Anwar Ibrahim and the government has also heightened tensions between the Malaysian authorities and the US. Turkey too was blamed for assisting Anwar in taking refuge in the Turkish Embassy after accusations of sodomy was made against him on 28th June. THE United States said on Wednesday that the arrest of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over sodomy allegations sodomy has raised 'serious concerns.' 'We believe the detention today of prominent Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim raises serious questions and concerns,' State Department spokesman Mr Sean McCormack said in a statement. 'We urge Malaysian authorities to resolve this matter in a manner that builds confidence in the impartial rule of law in Malaysia,' he said. Two US rights groups also expressed concerns about the arrest and hoped the investigation into the sodomy claims was not used as a political tool to silence him. The arrest 'is of great concern to us and the international community,' said Mr Lorne Craner, president of the International Republican Institute, and Mr Ken Wollack, president the National Democratic Institute. They noted that the similar charge filed against him a decade ago was ultimately overturned by Malaysia's Supreme Court. Mr Craner and Mr Wollack also questioned the timing of the current allegations amid Anwar's re-emergence on the national political scene since a ban on his involvement in politics expired in April 2008. 'We hope that the investigation into the allegation is not used as a political tool to silence an outspoken government critic,' they said. It appears the Malaysian government is eagerly waiting for the US to comment on the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim and the possible arraignment of the opposition leader for 14 days remand. Malaysia rebuked the US for commenting on the sodomy accusation last month, sending a letter to the state department to either get an apology or an explaination from the US government. The local authorities are still waiting for the reply from the US and tensions between the two nations will surely rise in the event the US criticizes Malaysia for the way Anwar was arrested on 16th July. According to one of his lawyers, Sankara Nair, who said he witnessed the arrest, Mr. Anwar was pulled roughly from his car and driven to the police headquarters just one hour before he had promised to turn himself in. “If it had been an ordinary investigation, then they should have allowed him to go to the police headquarters as has been agreed and they should have allowed him to make his statement,” said another of his lawyers, William Leong. During his previous arrest Mr. Anwar was famously punched in the eye by a high-ranking police officer, who later apologized to him when the Federal Court set him free in 2004. Both times, the charges were brought at a moment when Mr. Anwar was posing a dangerous challenge to incumbent prime ministers, first Mahathir Mohamad and now Dr. Mathatir’s successor, Abdullah Badawi. In 1998, as deputy prime minister and finance minister, Mr. Anwar had been Dr. Mahathir’s chosen successor but had apparently pushed his own ambitions too quickly for the prime minister’s taste. The sodomy conviction was overturned after Dr. Mahathir had left office, after Mr. Anwar had served six years in prison. By then, Malaysian politics had moved on, with a new prime minister and new contenders for power, and most analysts said chances were slim for a revival of Mr. Anwar’s political career. But Dr. Mahathir has turned against Mr. Abdullah, who had been his new designated successor, and the government has been seriously weakened by its disaster in the March election. At that time, the governing Barisan Nasional coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and ceded five states to the opposition, and Mr. Anwar’s challenge gained credibility and momentum. About 400 (Bernama, Malaysia's national agency said 500) supporters gathered outside the police headquarters on Wednesday demanding his release, and police officers in riot gear warned the crowd to disperse or face arrest. Mr. Anwar’s supporters replied with a warning of their own. “Why are the police trying to test the people’s patience?” said Azmin Ali, a leader of Mr. Anwar’s party, the People Justice Party. “I am giving a very strong reminder to the police, don’t provoke us.” The government denied that politics was involved in the sodomy accusation. “The purpose of the investigations is not to fix someone but is to really help him clear his name,” said Shahrir Samad, the domestic trade minister. NYT report with WFOL comments Related Articles: Abdullah Badawi: The Rise and Fall of Mr. Nice Guy US Breaking the Philippines to divide and rule Comments (1) Subscribe to this comment's feed Show/Hide comments Arrest of Anwar written by jerry, July 18, 2008 The malaysian government handling of Anwars arrest is indeed despicable;its only an alleged sodomy.How about the alleged murder of Atantuya;how come the culprit was never arrested;Are you telling me murder is ok but sodomy is not!This is the blatant injustice prevailing in our nation today;world superpowers must come to our rescue to see justice carried out without fear or favour! Write comment Name Email Website Title Comment Write the displayed characters Powered by Azrul's Jom Comment
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 July 2008 )

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