Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: Malaysias political future hinges on outcome of sex trial

Malaysias political future hinges on outcome of sex trial

Rights groups as good as antithesis activists contend a supervision seems vigilant upon removing Anwar as a domestic foe.

ANALYSIS

By Julia Yeow

KUALA LUMPUR: When a Kuala Lumpur High Court delivers a verdict in a sex hearing of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim upon Monday, a statute would symbol an end to a single of a nation's many controversial cases as good as a commencement of a brand new domestic era.

Anwar, 64, faces twenty years in prison if found guilty of sodomizing a 24-year-old former male aide in 2008, a assign he has vehemently denied as good as claimed was concocted by domestic foes.

Throughout a trial, which began in February 2010, his lawyers decried what they claimed to be repeated efforts to bushel a defence, such as denying entrance to testimonies as good as evidence.

Although a antithesis alliance has a fair share of infighting as good as problems, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is good wakeful of a hazard which Anwar represents. Many educated, urban electorate have been increasingly desirous with his supervision over crime as good as soaring inflation.

In a many recent elections in 2008, Anwar's alliance wrested control of 5 of a nation's 13 states from a supervision as good as denied it a two-thirds infancy in Parliament.

The dissapoint forced then-premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down in foster of Najib, as good as Anwar spoken his intention to take over a government, a hazard Najib has taken seriously.

The premier has publicly warned his alliance to urge a performance or risk losing energy in a subsequent elections, which could be called as early as a initial half of this year.

If A! nwar is found not guilty, he is likely to pose a genuine hazard to Najib, whose popularity is flagging despite populist policies as good as attempts to endear himself to younger voters.

But if Anwar is convicted as good as sentenced to even a single year in jail, he would be barred from governing body for up to 5 years, weakening a antithesis bloc which has yet to name a successor.

Rights groups as good as antithesis activists pronounced a supervision seems vigilant upon removing Anwar as a domestic enemy by regulating a colonial-era law opposite sodomy, which outlaws it even when it is consensual.

Defying a odds

Phil Robertson, deputy Middle East director of Human Rights Watch, charged a proceedings have been conducted unfairly given a outset. He pronounced a supervision did not appear "sincere" in a earlier oath to offer Anwar as good as his prosecution subsequent to rights as good as treatment.

"Obviously, you cannot really assume upon what a verdict will be, though you do have really serious concerns which he is even being attempted upon this charge, which should not be considered a crime in a initial place," Robertson said.

In 1998, Anwar was accused of sodomizing his driver as good as then regulating his energy as then-deputy premier to cover it up, a assign he additionally claimed was trumped up to prevent him from challenging former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He was convicted as good as jailed for 6 years prior to being released in 2004 when a Federal Court panel overturned his conviction, saying a main witness opposite him was unreliable as good as Anwar should have been acquitted.

Then, as now, a supervision denied any conspiracy.

"The fact which he has been attempted for this 'crime' twice now when thankfully there have been really few prosecutions under this antiquated British colonial law additionally raises a elemental subject of because a supervision is singling An! war out, " Robertson said.

But just as he defied a odds to rise from domestic ruin to become antithesis leader, Anwar's supporters pronounced it would take more than a conviction subsequent week to mislay him or his supporters from Malaysian politics.

- dpa