Anwar – Battered But Still Battling
By Masterwordsmith
At this point, it looks like DSAI is battered but still battling. Throughout history, we have seen how the public-service careers of some politicians ended by scandal while some rose from the ashes of the alleged/proven sexcapades. Can DSAI survive this battle?
In the latest development that has swept through Malaysian cyberspace like a tornado, the political career of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could be hanging in midair after the emergence yesterday of a video which allegedly shows him having sex with an unidentified woman.
In a photograph accompanying a report by The Malaysian Insider HERE, DSAI appeared to be in jovial spirits with his devoted wife, Wan Azizah, standing by him. However, is it really all hunky dory on the Anwar front?
Let’s take a look at the many battles that he has fought thus far.
As a student from 1968-1971, DSAI was active in various student organizations including holding the president’s post in Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM)), Persatuan Bahasa Melayu Universiti Malaya (PBMUM) and the Malaysian Youth Council or Majlis Belia Malaysia (MBM).
He was one of the protem committee of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) or Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia which was founded in 1971. He was also elected President of the
In 1974, Anwar was arrested during student protests against rural poverty and hunger. He was imprisoned under the Internal Security Act and spent 20 months in the Kamunting Detention Centre.
The Turning Point
DSAI shocked many Malaysians when he joined UMNO which was then under the leadership of TDM. He moved up the political ladder at an almost meteoric pace:
* 1983 Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
* 1984 Minister of Agriculture ministry
* 1986 Minister of Education in 1986.
As Education Minister, DSAI renamed the national language from Bahasa Malaysia to Bahasa Melayu.
* 1991 Minister of Finance
* 1993, he became Deputy Prime Minister after winning the Deputy Presidency of UMNO against Ghafar Baba.
The Sodomy Trials
According to Wikipedia HERE:
1998 At the UMNO General Assembly, a book, 50 Dalil Kenapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi PM (“50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Become Prime Minister”) was circulated containing graphic allegations as well as accusations of corruption against Anwar. The book was written by Khalid Jafri, an ex-editor of the government-controlled newspaper Utusan Malaysia and former editor-in-chief of a failed magazine, Harian National. Anwar obtained a court injunction to prevent further distribution of the book and filed a lawsuit against the author for defamation. Police charged the author of the book with malicious publishing of false news.
Among the allegations in the book was that Anwar is homosexual. The police were instructed to investigate the veracity of the claims. In what the Sydney Morning Herald termed a “blatantly political fix-up”, Anwar was charged with sodomy, convicted and given a 15 year prison sentence.
In 1999, Anwar brought suit against Prime Minister Mahathir for defamation for allegedly uttering accusations of immoral acts and calling Anwar a homosexual at a news conference in Malaysia.
This verdict was partially overturned in 2004, resulting in Anwar’s release from prison. The original author of the book died in 2005 of complications from diabetes but not before the High Court found that he had committed libel and awarded Anwar millions of ringgit in compensation.The Federal Court on March 8, 2010 ruled that the 1998 dismissal of Anwar from his Cabinet posts by Mahathir was constitutional and valid, meaning Anwar had failed in his bid to challenge his sacking
Release from prison
On September 2, 2004, a panel of three judges of the Federal Court (Malaysia’s highest court) overturned the sodomy conviction by 2 to 1, finding contradictions in the prosecution’s case.
….
On June 29, 2008, online news portal Malaysiakini reported that an aide of Anwar Ibrahim had lodged a police report claiming that he had been sodomised by Anwar.
You can read more details of the Sodomy Trials from this article called Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy Trials.
On April 14, 2008, Anwar’sban from public office expired a decade after he was fired as Deputy Prime Minister.
On April 29, 2008, after 10 years of absence, he returned to the Parliament, albeit upon invitation as a spouse guest of Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, People’s Justice Party and the first female opposition leader in Malaysian Parliament’s history. Anwar Ibrahim was victorious in the Permatang Pauh by-election held on August 26, 2008.
The has been public criticism of DSAI on many issues including:
* his role in Sabah in the 1990’s Read THIS LINK
* Sept 16th 2008 that never happened
* PKR Internal Conflicts & Azmin factor plus many other issues
* his comments on APCO, 1Malaysia etc.
At this point, we have seen how DSAI has been accused of being a homosexual, CIA agent and then adulterer. Do read the comments from Malaysiakini readers AT THIS LINK.
Quo vadis, Anwar?
