Asia Times: Anwar's trial resumes amid protests and arrests



	January 26, 2000	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

Anwar's trial resumes amid protests and arrests

KUALA LUMPUR - The resumption on Tuesday of the sodomy trial of Malaysia's ousted deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim gave Malaysia's opposition the chance to openly challenge the government on the heels of its latest crackdown on critics.

Anwar's supporters went ahead with their plan, announced last week, to hold a demonstration outside the court despite stern warnings from no less than Abdullah Badawi, Anwar's successor as the country's number two official.

Anwar's trial resumed affer a two-month break, with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on vacation overseas.

After their call to the crowd to disperse went unheeded, the police swooped on the protestors on Tuesday morning outside Kuala Lumpur's main courts and arrested 11 people. Those arrested were said to be mainly members of the opposition National Justice Party (keADILan), which is headed by Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

They were among some 200 peaceful demonstrators chanting ''reformasi!'' who gathered outside the court in a show of solidarity with Anwar and eight others who are being tried separately for taking part in an illegal gathering last September. Activists expect the 11 to be detained overnight and charged with illegal assembly.

''Reformasi'' is the battlecry among those seeking wide-ranging political and social reforms, a clamor unleashed by Anwar's ouster from office and from Mahathir's circle in September 1998. ''The mood is cheerful and people weren't afraid,'' says keADILan vice- president Tian Chua, who was at the scene. He expects more demonstrations when the trial continues on Wednesday.

With Mahathir away, the demonstration provided a stern test for Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affars Minister Abdullah and for the government, which is especially sensitive about criticism at present, given the inroads made by the opposition in the November general election in what many see as political fallout from the Anwar episode.

At the same time, the opposition's mettle is being tested by the government's recent crackdown on opposition figures and the media.

Mahathir, in power for 19 years, sacked Anwar in September 1998, saying his deputy was unfit for government. Anwar was detained, assaulted by the country's then police chief, and then sentenced to six years' jail by a court last April for abusing his position by tryimg to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct.

He is now standing trial with his adopted brother in the sodomy trial. Both have pleaded not guilty to sodomising Anwar's former family driver six years ago. If convicted, Anwar, 53, could face another 20 years in jail. The one-time heir apparent to Mahathir flatly denies the charges, saying they are part of a high-level political conspiracy to stop him from succeeding the 74-year-old Mahathir.

Anwar's lawyers are expected to produce witnesses to rebut the charge. They also want to call Mahathir, due to return home on February1, to the stand. If the premier shows up, he is likely to face Anwar's lead lawyer, Karpal Singh, a long-time political foe. Karpal himself was arrested on January 12 and charged with sedition for having alleged in court that ''people in high places'' had tried to poison his client - a charge the authorities say is unfounded.

''In charging Karpal for what he had said in court as defense counsel for his client, the government has violated United Nations' principles on lawyers, which confer immunity for statements made in court in good faith,'' said the lawyer's party colleague, Lim Kit Siang. Lim is chairman of the Democratic Action Party, a keADILan ally in the opposition Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front).

Besides Karpal, a keADILan leader as well as the editor and the printer of a leading opposition newspaper, Harakah, were arrested for sedition. Another keADILan leader was charged with leaking details of an alleged official probe into high-level corruption. All five were arrested and released on bail pending trial.

The sodomy trial was postponed on November 15 after High Court Judge Ariffin Jaka said he needed medical treatment for a backache about the same time as Mahathir was due to take the stand to testify. Two days later, Mahathir announced snap elections for November 29. Though he won a two-thirds parliamentary majority for his ruling coalition, the premier was unable to prevent two states landing in opposition hands.

Analysts say the Anwar episode split the votes of the majority ethnic Malays, who have traditionally rooted for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Anwar, the opposition front's candidate for prime minister, was barred from contesting the polls. But his wife, Wan Azizah, won the seat Anwar had held for 16 years and entered Parliament along with a clutch of other keADILan representatives.

Lim said on Tuesday that the continued ''persecution'' of Anwar was not going to help the cause of national reconciliation ''after the great wounds caused to the national psyche and unity as a result of the dirtiest general election in the nation's history''.

Meanwhile, the government's impatience with opposing views continues to worry rights groups. ''Malaysians are concerned that the government is becoming increasingly intolerant of dissent and is slowly but surely drifting towards the nightmare of a police state,'' said the non-government Aliran in a statement after the Tuesday's arrests.

(Inter Press Service)

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