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Former Deputy Prime Minister Accused of Sodomy Judge Ariffin Jaka: 'You Committed Despicable Acts' |
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By Jack Nichols
Anwar Ibrahim's popularity among voters became a matter of concern to his former boss and political mentor, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who, many believe, became infuriated when, in September 1998, he and his protégé disagreed on matters of economic policy. The former Deputy Prime Minister had earlier been found to have been beaten by police while in their custody. Mr. Anwar's wife, a physician, examined her husband's wounds, making public her findings. Infuriated, Malaysians organized large pro-Anwar demonstrations. Such demonstrations have now been forbidden.
The former Deputy Prime Minister denounced Malaysia's judiciary too, saying it had demeaned itself by its unlawful adherence to the Prime Minister's plan. "Bloody, rotten judiciary!", he exclaimed. Judge Ariffin Jaka accused Mr. Anwar of committing "despicable acts in our society," and said that he was deserving of the "utmost condemnation." Malaysia's government is said to be already braced for an expected show of dissatisfaction. Some opposition political leaders are calling Mr. Anwar's sentence unduly "harsh" and are predicting widespread unrest among his many supporters. Chandra Muzaffar, the deputy president of the National Justice Party, said: "This is going to sustain the opposition movement to Dr. Mahathir. People are going to see it as another example of Mahathir's cruelty." |
