Razali backs call for A-G to act against Anwar

(NST) – Deputy Umno Youth chief Datuk Razali Ibrahim has come out in support of the call by a senior lawyer for the Attorney-General to initiate fresh summons against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for contempt of court.

He also said Anwar’s passport should be compounded to stop him from going overseas and belittling the country with his comments.

On Sunday, senior lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah urged the A-G to take immediate action against Anwar for contempt of court, saying that Anwar had made various allegations from the dock during the hearing of his sodomy trial.

Razali, who is also deputy youth and sports minister, told a news conference here yesterday that he did not see Anwar defending himself at the trial.

He said Anwar did not take the witness stand and neither did he take his oath.

“He is taking advantage of the trial and turning it into a political stage. He said the court was a playhouse of Barisan Nasional, and many other things. It is a clear case of contempt of court.”

Razali said if the A-G did not take action against Anwar, others could also belittle the court and get away with it, and the people would lose respect for the law.

“His final aim is to confuse people,” added the Muar member of parliament.

Razali said a fresh summons would not delay the sodomy trial as these would be two different cases that could be heard separately.

However, Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh said the opposition leader had a “substantive right” to make a statement from the dock.

“Judge Mohamad Zabidin sat through listening attentively to what was said by Anwar in the course of putting forth his statement from the dock,” Karpal said in a statement.

He said that only the judge could hold Anwar in contempt.