Anwar Acquitted: Does it show independence of the Judiciary?

Anwar was acquitted yesterday, much to everybody’s surprise (including mine!)

Masterwordsmith reported that there were more than 1,171 articles on Anwar’s acquittal yesterday (read here). This must have been a real surprise to everybody too.

So it is safe to say that Anwar’s acquittal by the court yesterday was not something that most people had expected. In fact, I had written in another posting that it was almost certain that Anwar will be found guilty. So did most others except for Karpal Singh who felt that Anwar will be freed. Obviously, we were wrong although the assessment and the gut feelings were so strong on the incarceration of Anwar.

Well, there is enough said about this from yesterday’s article. But there is one issue I would like to comment on. And that is the loud assertions by Najib and the BN that this proves the independence of the judiciary. The fact is this acquittal by the court does not prove the real independence of our judiciary but that this particular case did not appear to violate the natural course of justice. Of course, this is an opinion.

Final Words on Pematang Pauh

Results At A Glance

PKR – 31,195 (Anwar)  30,348 (Wan Azizah)

BN – 15,524 (Arif Shah)  16,950 (Pirdaus)

Majority – 15,671 (Anwar)  13,398 (Wan Azizah)

* The GE12 results for Pematang Pauh can be found here at the SPR official website.

Now that the dust is settling, Anwar will be sworn in as MP of Pematang Pauh tomorrow (Thursday) as reported by Bernama (read here).  Looks like there’s nothing to stop this from happening and he will be voted as the Opposition Leader as well.  Looks like it’s all set for the next phase of Anwar’s plan.

In a nutshell, the Pematang Pauh by-election results is a repeat of the March GE12 results where the voters are voicing out yet again the frustrations against the BN government.  The slight decrease in BN votes may not be significant but the majority reflects a clear voice of dissatisfaction by the voters.

It also shows that no amount of mud slinging, character assassination, intimidation, silly promises and what nots can stir the voters.  The results remain the same.  It is NOT all about Anwar, it’s also about BN’s inability to make life better for the people and govern the country.

For now, Malaysians will have a good Merdeka Day!

Next: A New Government – Is It Even Possible? A Sarawak-Sabah Affair

After Pematang Pauh, what next?

Now that it is official that Anwar has won yesterday’s mother of all by-elections, what is next?

Parliament awaits him next obviously.  But this is but the beginning of a long road for Anwar.  Nevertheless, it is happening and the reverberations are felt across Malaysia.  Many Malaysians consider this first step the start to a new Malaysia.  But is it?  Will it happen?  What is going to stop it?  Where is Malaysia going next?

Pematang Pauh Watershed Analysis

Pematang Pauh – The dirtiest and most hard fought by-election or any election for that matter is over.  BN threw everything they had at Anwar.  Of course, these are considered allegations by BN as they have categorically denied setting up Saiful for Anwar’s fall, the police report, the swearing as well as the continuous showing of the Saiful swearing during BN’s campaign although they had felt that it wasn’t in their best interest to capitalize on it.  Somehow, the entire BN bandwagon jumped on the Saiful swearing and allowed Anwar to beat Arif Shah by 2,273 more votes than Wan Azizah did in March 2008.

So why did BN lose?

Pematang Pauh Watershed of a New Malaysia?

LATEST

Anwar (PKR) – 31,195 (66%) – Majority: 15,671 (Wan Azizah polled 13,388 in March GE12)

Arif Shah (BN) – 15,524 (32.8%) (Lost in his Seberang Jaya sector by a large margin)

Hanafi Hamad (AKIN) – 92

Spoilt – 447

Total Electorate – 58,459

Turnout – 80.8% (47,259)

The results were just announce over TV and posted at Malaysia Today here and The Malaysian Insider here too.  So, we can see that the Election Commission earlier announced a “guestimate” instead of being precise about the voters turnout percentage.  Shouldn’t the EC be scientifically and mathematically correct in all their announcements? 

Tomorrow D-Day Pematang Pauh

This by-election is perhaps the MOST hotly contested, dirtiest mud slinging contest the country has ever seen.

It is also perhaps the by-election with the HIGHEST stake, the possible return of Anwar to Parliament which supposedly starts another tsunami of sorts in the country.

No matter which side you are on, we can’t deny the grave ramifications of Anwar winning this by-election if he continues this path towards the Parliament.

For now, let’s hold our breath.  Tomorrow awaits Pematang Pauh and the entire nation.

Stay tuned!

Consensual Sodomy? A likely crocked up story (Updated)

Malaysia Kini is currently carry an online poll asking “Should the Anwar sodomy charge be dropped?” Interestingly but not surprisingly, the current result shows over 92% of the 1,464 respondents say yes (read here for more updated stats).

Speak to whoever you know and there is a sense of frustration, disbelief as well as anger that this episode has been used as a public assassination of Anwar’s political career.  If this is not politically motivated, then why are politicians so keen to make a statement?  Why did the police swoop in to arrest Anwar?  Why did our dear foreign minister brief so many foreign country ambassadors?  Why is the Government trying to pretend to be not involved when the public clearly sees their involvement?  Why is Saiful being protected by the police and I presume given immunity in this charge solely against Anwar for “suka sama suka” (consensual) act?  There are more unanswered questions with more revelation by RPK too.

Protect Saiful and screw Anwar!  And we are told that this is not political.  Hah!  Are Malaysians stupid?  No we are not and don’t take us as fools please!

Sodomy vs Economy (Part 2): Preoccupied with the wrong things

Anwar is formally charged for consensual sodomy and released on bail without surety.  The Maybank fiasco on BII comes to the fore.  Then the Bar Council’s forum tomorrow receives carefully stated advice from all quarters but it will go on as planned.  And of course, Malaysians are now finding solace on TV with the start of the Beijing Olympic Games 2008.

The interests of the public is now split between the Pematang Pauh by-election slated for August 26 and the Beijing Games.  The rest are now fillers and I have a general sense that Malaysians are fed up of what’s happening to bother much.  I think the hope is pinned on the by-election outcome which if it’s anyone’s guess, the decision of most people is already made up.  We shall see when the time comes, won’t we.

But do we see anyone making serious efforts to shore up the economy, to give us hope that things are being put in place, that corruption is being checked and not just talked about, that contingencies are executed to fight inflation and less political rhetorics about what should?  Well, no!  And do you know why?

Sodomy vs Economy: Who cares for us Malaysians?

It is so exciting to read about Anwar hitting the road for the impending Pematang Pauh by-election over the weekend.  Sounded like the prelude to a national transformation with speculation that he will win handsomely.  Main stream media played down his thunderous heart moving ceramahs and played up the unfortunate incident of the Guang Ming Daily’s photographer being roughed up.  One would have thought that this incident reported by the MSM being the highlight of the Anwar trail.  Sad news reporting but then again, MSM is proven yet again to be a Government propaganda machine.

Today, we know that the Pematang Pauh by-election will be on 26 August.  Shortly after that, Anwar is served a summon to appear in court tomorrow morning at 10am.  Then RPK writes another startling exposé with details of a complicated conspiracy (read here) to show how Anwar and RPK are being setup for the fall and be removed from being an obstacle to the powers to be.  This is all too disturbing to Malaysians and a cause for all of us to worry even more!

Sodomy Allegations Abuzz with Confusion (Updated)

The web blogs and news sites are abuzz with the latest exposé of a doctor’s notes (see here and now more here) taken during his examination of Saiful.  It appears to have been recorded about 4 hours prior to Saiful making a police report on being sodomised by Anwar.  This has thrown a gauntlet into the entire police investigation or so it appears.  The Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar wishes to “…to warn everyone, including bloggers, not to disturb police investigations by disseminating material or information that is inaccurate or false” (emphasis mine, reference here).  Seems that this doctor’s report is either glossed over or ignored although it appears very clear on the innocence of Anwar (if the documents shown is true.)

So what is really happening?  Is what we are reading inaccurate or false when it’s not from the Main Stream Media?  Is what the police say accurate and true?  What and who are we to believe?  This public display of statements by so many parties are possibly confusing everyone who is following this closely.  What are facts and what are counter-facts?