The fresh accusations of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim may shift the poles in Malaysia’s already shifted political landscape. With Anwar out of contention the opposition will have to double its efforts to prove that it has the claimed majority in Parliament to form a new government, otherwise it is the BN that will benefit.

Anwar has campaigned on the assertion that he can overthrow the regime of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with the crossing over of 30 to 40 Member of Parliament (MP) from the Barisan National (BN) – the coalition party running the country – and to form a new government. Some political analysts who spoke to WorldFutures stressed the point that Anwar is probably being framed once again in order to prevent the crossing over of the MP’s.

They point out that it does not benefit Anwar Ibrahim to be involved in a sodomy case when his movement the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is on the eve of a major political shake out in Malaysia. Anwar has promised the Malaysians that by September 16^th his Party Keadilaan Rakyat (PKR) or Justice Party will be reinforced by the crossing over MP’s from the government. He said most of the MP’s would come from the states of Sabah and Sarawak which are located on the Island of Borneo.

However, with Anwar now hiding in the Turkish Embassy and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who is opposition chief in Parliament saying that the PKR de-facto leader might seek asylum in Turkey, the situation will change in Malaysian politics.

“The BN is to benefit largely with the accusations against Anwar. But if this is a political ploy and it will be proven that such is the case, the BN will face the wrath of the people,” added one observer to WorldFutures.

However, they said, if the PR can prove its case and bring the MP’s in its favor to cross over and form a group outside the government in the Parliament, the issue would be settled since the government would not have a majority in Parliament. ‘Without a majority, the King will have to force the Prime Minister to resign or to form a new government, failing which we may be facing fresh elections in the country,” argued another.

“Yet with Anwar seeking (possibly) refuge outside of Malaysia, it will simply mean the BN wins in the tug-of-war against Anwar. This will make the opposition to be weak and to depend on the conclusion of the police report to know what the future will be like,” said Mis.

Anwar has been the one hunting the heads from the BN, wooing them to join his coalition for a new Malaysia with the promises of better democratic standards and more freedoms for the people. Now it is a reversed situation where Anwar is being hunted for sodomy – in a repeat of a horrible saga that almost destroyed his career – and this will cause further shits in the poles of attraction in Malaysia’s politics, WorldFutures was told.

Unless a political compromise is made between the PR and the BN for the government to rule until the end of its mandate and for the country to go for the normal polls sometime in 2012, there is no way for the current political situation to boil down to nothing. “Anwar being accused one more time for a crime that was proven he did not commit with the reversal of a first sodomy case against him, is damaging indeed but it smells politics,” said one observer.

“The present case is simply an attempt by the authorities to undermine Anwar from breaking the BN and taking power in September this year,” said Dzul G, a columnist with WorldFutures. He said he did not agree with the idea that other than BN were involved in the present sodomy accusations against the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

He added that once the case is over and Anwar is cleared it will be a down the road thing for the BN while Anwar will be boosted to up the ante against the government. “Anwar will be able to claim harassment and will use this as a means to prove to the people that the regime is tainted with bad intentions and should be replaced,”

If no deal is reached and Anwar is forced to be holed up in the Turkish embassy for days, there might be attempts to organize illegal rallies and pro-Anwar demonstrations in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, much like the days after Anwar’s arrest in 1998.

Anwar Ibrahim may use the Turkish embassy protection to press the government to declare the latest sodomy case null. In the event this happens, it will be a blow to the government’s and to the police image since this will prove that Anwar was not involved in the case and there was an attempt to frame him.

However, the whole strategy is now dependent on what Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will say in her police declaration regarding the evidence the PKR and Anwar claims to have about the possible involvement of the current Police Chief and the Attorney General office in a the previous case of sodomy and corruption against Anwar dated 1999.

The government currently has more than 60 seats majority in Parliament. The PR needs at least 40 seats to secure a slim majority, seats that Anwar claims he has. Anwar is said to be waiting for more Muslim MP’s from the government to join his movement since the majority of the 40 MP’s willing to cross over are non-Muslims. It will be awkward for the new government to be run in majority by non-Muslims in a country where Malay-Muslims form more than 60 percent of the population.

Anwar’s party has said that the leader decided to go in hiding after receiving death threats and the PKR was advised to take care of the safety of Anwar who was on a daily campaign (in cities and in villages), attacking the government from his soap box on major issues including the recent oil price hike.

Anwar is very worried of his safety and is afraid of being the target of an attempt against his life, said Dzul G who added that he believed Anwar will not be arrested in this current sodomy case. He added that there was a serious threat against Anwar and that this could be the reason for him to be holed up in the Turkish embassy.

Anwar has urged the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to grant him guarantees that he would not be arrested and that his life will not be threatened before he leaves the Turkish embassy. It is apparent that the PM will find it difficult to mix politics with the sodomy case – which is by all means a civil case – hence their might be no guarantees that Anwar will be protected by the Malaysian government.

The observers blasted the Malaysian government for maintaining Turkey is interfering in the affairs of the country while saying the opposition leader should surrender to the police because this is not a political case. They argued that there is no interference in Malaysia’s politics if this is not a political case hence Anwar has the right to be at the Turkish Embassy if he feels his life is in danger.

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This country is going to Hell....
written by Giga Solo, June 30, 2008

Yup.... we are definitely going to the dogs with this one.

Do you see any resemblance with Zimbabwe? Opposition leader seeking refuge in foreign embassy? Next thing you know, the umnoputras will start a campaign of violence just like Mugabe's supporters.

We, the peace-loving rakyat must make a stand. People should never fear their governments, our taxes pay their salaries after all. Until the rakyat stands up for itself, the corrupt pricks in power will continue to steal from our parents, murder our friends and rape our children.

trying to contatc party kesadilan rakat malaysia.
written by sataiyah, July 10, 2008

sir/madam,
I was trying to contact your party for the last many years but no one appeared to give me the necessay help.
I had even tried to contact through Mr Tian Chua but failed to get a fruitful reslt. I even gave a letter through the body guard of dato but it appeared that he failed to deliver the same to dato.
I have got a very big case against the bn GOVT BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO GIVE ME THE REQUIRED HELP.
Although you required a comment on the avoce matterbut I took this chance as to make the necessary contact with Party Keadilan. If you receive this message please contact me at the above email address for further details.

Thanking you.

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Amember of Keadilan and recently
supported DAP.

Dear Sataiyah
written by Kazi Mahmood, July 10, 2008

Thanks for posting the message here. However, since we are not linked to any political parties, it is hard for us to point any direction to you. What we can do is publish any information that you deem necessary and we consider news worthy, and perhaps that way you can get help from the quarters you expect.

Pls do visit our site again. We are a non-affiliated Political Islam website.

Yours truly

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