Azmin: Government influenced courts in Sodomy II

(MM) – Azmin Ali slammed the courts today for meting out punishment on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his Sodomy II case, saying the judiciary has once again been made “instruments” of the executive arm.

The PKR deputy president labelled Anwar’s jail term “perverse”, an “injustice” and an “absolute disgrace”, and said it was not just an injustice committed against the Opposition Leader but against Malaysians in general.

“We have gone to the polls and we won the popular vote. But still they robbed us of our victory.

“And now that they see that the Kajang move will again pose a major threat to Putrajaya, they are doing this to Anwar,” Azmin said in a statement here.

He warned, however, that Malaysians would not accept the judgment lying down.

At a ceramah last night, the PKR leader reportedly declared the beginning of “Reformasi 2.0”.

Anwar was yesterday sentenced to five years’ jail after the Court of Appeal overturned a previous High Court decision acquitting him of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Under Article 64(4) of the Selangor state constitution stated that a person who is convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than a year, or fined not less than RM2,000, cannot be elected into the state legislative assembly, even if an appeal is filed.

But Anwar, who is still the Pematang Pauh MP, based on Article 48(4)(b) of the Federal Constitution, will be able to retain his seat until apex court disposes of the appeal.

The conviction could also affect Anwar plan to contest in PKR party polls next month.

The conviction also automatically disqualifies his plans to contest in the Kajang state by-election, even though he remains Permatang Pauh MP until the disposal of his appeal by the Federal Court.

Anwar was first convicted of sodomy and corruption in 1999, following his sacking from the Cabinet the year before. The sodomy conviction was later overturned in 2004.