The sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has added another feather to its hat of court-room drama. No less than Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor, whom Anwar has accused of hatching the sodomy plot with complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan, have been summoned to testify in open court .
Both husband and wife had last week refused to speak when they attended a preliminary interview with Anwar's lawyers ahead of this week's trial. The interview was to determine if they should be called as witnesses. As the first couple did not co-operate, the defense sought and obtained a court summons or subpoenae; they now have to present themselves before open court and answer the questions put forward by the defence team of Anwar Ibrahim.
If both Najib and Rosmah refuse to honor the summonses, them both are in contempt of court and thus, libel to charges filed against them. This would also be a public relations disaster for Najib and Rosmah, thus they are expected to appear and this opens the all important question, what will Najib and Rosmah reveal in open court?
And in the wake of the latest revelations from former US ambassador to Malaysia, John Malott, who disclosed that his embassy had been told of a decision to “nuke” Anwar politically for all time to come "until he can never stand up again politically," what questions would Anwar's defense ask?
So far, according to Sankara Nair, one of the defense team, the subpoena have been served on the first couple and they should be on course to attend the trial as witesses.
No magic wand
Indeed, the subpoenae served on Najib Razak, wife Rosmah Mansor and ex-Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and Malacca police chief Rodhwan Ismail is not something they can conveniently wish away.
It is an order by the courts to take the witness stand, otherwise an arrest warrant would be issued for non-compliance to that order. And there are no two ways about it, since it involves a prime minister bent on fixing his tattered public image.
A refusal to appear would mean arrest. Yet, the warrant of arrest has to be served by the judge. And controversial trial judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah has already shown his leanings, giving Najib, Rosmah and the two cops a "life-life" by allowing them to escape being interviewed as potential witnesses for the defense.
Alternatively, Najib and Rosmah can apply to set aside the summons like former premier Mahathir Mohad had done in 1998.
The seemingly biased nature of the trial judge has been a bone of contention for Anwar, who made it clear in his 32-page statement. Would judge Mohd Zabidin give Najib and the other three a “life-line” if an arrest warrant was needed to make the four refuse agree to appear as witnesses?
A subpoenae cannot be reversed, it’s either you honor it or not and it is now a waiting game to see if Najib, Rosmah, and ex-Inspector General of Musa Hassan and Rodhwan Ismail would appear and give testimony in open court.
History will point out Najib’s rather allergic reaction to appearing in court.
In the Altantuya case, Najib was conveniently left out of the picture even-though his top advisor, Razak Baginda was on trial for murder. For reasons known only to himself, Najib chose not to assert his innocence in a court of law and while the murder was tied to the purchase of the Scorpene submarines, as then Defence Minister; Najib was never called up to explain the details of the acquisition. The prosecution made no attempts to even bring him into the pic. But in the Anwar case, things are different. So far, Najib and Rosmah have not been able to thwart Anwar’s defence teams determination to see them in open court.
But what new tricks will Najib and Rosmah throw up to avoid court remains to be seen. It is clear that if the two do not appear in court, they are to be arrested. Would the premier and his wife risk being arrested? Will they have they day in court and tell their version of the Sodomy II drama story? Or will we see the two escape their duty through some clever sleight of the judiciary hand?
Malaysia Chronice
5 comments:
I went to the Post Office to register to vote; and upon checking my identity card, the Post officer asked which religion I belonged to. Why? I do not know. Therefore, we must reform the Department of Religion. Right now, only Islam is recognised as the religion in the Department of Religion. Therefore we need reforms. We need to divide the Department of Religion into two branches: one branch to deal with Muslim Affairs, and another branch to deal with non-Muslim Affairs.
Another alternative is to persuade the Malays to separate Penang Island from Peninsular Malaysia. It may be that non-Muslims are the majority in Penang. More and more non-Muslims from Peninsular Malaysia should be encouraged to relocate to Penang. Once Penang becomes a non-Muslim majority state, then the Penangites can ask for greater autonomy from KL. Penang should be allowed to make its own laws for itself. I think the Malays should be happy if more non-Malays relocate to Penang. An increase in non-Malays in Penang will result in a decrease in non-Malays in Peninsular Malaysia; and therefore Malays should be happy. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. Since Singapore is a non-Muslim majority nation, Penang should also become a non-Muslim majority state. The non-Muslim citizens need a hub and space of their own; and the hub and space would be Penang. Those non-Muslim citizens who are unwilling to accept a second class citizen status inside Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang Island.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. Do something. Instead of fretting and complaining, please make arrangements to relocate to Penang. If you have non-Muslim friends who fret and complain, then immediately persuade them to relocate to Penang.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. If non-Muslim taxpayers feel shortchanged, then stop the sweating, brooding, complaining, and having nightmares. There is a solution to the nightmares and depression. Do something. Please relocate to Penang.
If non-Muslims feel that Muslim Malaysians, as taxpayers, are having a parasitical relations with non-Muslim Malaysians, then the non-Muslims must do something. What should non-Muslims do to thwart the parasitical relations with Muslim Malaysians? If you are non-Muslim, please relocate to Penang Island. The solution is relocate to Penang Island; and the Muslim Malaysians also should encourage non-Muslim Malaysians to relocate to Penang.
If the non-Muslims are opposed to the "ketuanan Melayu" ideology, then they should relocate to Penang.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Nanyang means South Seas, a reference to the South East Asain region. The Nanyang Chinese are those Chinese who relocated from China to South East Asia about 100 to 150 years ago. The contribution of the Nanyang Chinese is well documented. In parts of South East Asia the Nanyang Chinese founded many, if not most, of the towns and urban centers. The Nanyang Chinese have served South East Asia for about 100 to 150 years and are entitled to a hub and space of their own which will be Penang. (We also have the Straits Chinese). The Chinese from Peninsular Malaya, if they can, should relocate closer to Penang so that Penang will always be a Chinese majority state. The Penang Chinese should seek greater autonomy for Penang. Global geo-politics is changing and China is a rising social, political, and economic power. Amidst all these changes, Penang has to find its niche. We have to keep Penang as a Chinese majority state.
The Indians, as non-Muslims, in Malaya too have contributed to the growth and development of Malaya for 100 to 150 years. Global geo-politics is changing and China and India are rising social, political, and economic powers. Amidst all these changes, Penang has to find its niche. We have to keep Penang as a non-Muslim majority state. Both the Nanyang Chinese and the Indians in Malaya should, if they can, relocate closer to Penang. With good cooperation between China and India, the Indians and Nanyang Chinese in Malaya can benefit. Penang should be spot where the Chinese and Indian communities co-exist; and using Penang's co-existance model, both China and India can also co-exist.
We can say that the forefathers of the present Muslims in Malaya made a big mistake allowing Chinese and Indians to settle in Malaya more than 100 years ago. We can also say that Muslims benefitted enormously from the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaya. It is all about other people's money or OPM. OPM means other people's money. Over the last few decades the Muslims have benifitted by using OPM, namely taxes collected mostly from non-Muslim Malaysians. OPM has given the Muslims a free ride. Using OPM, Muslims have lived the good life. Therefore, it is time for the non-Muslim Malayans to be increasingly Penang oriented. We do have a predominantly non-Muslim government in Penang; and therefore the Chinese and Indians in Malaya should become increasingly Penang oriented.
We can say that the forefathers of the present Muslims in Malaya made a big mistake allowing Chinese and Indians to settle in Malaya more than 100 years ago. We can also say that Muslims benefitted enormously from the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaya. It is all about other people's money or OPM. OPM means other people's money. Over the last few decades the Muslims have benifitted by using OPM, namely taxes collected mostly from non-Muslim Malaysians. OPM has given the Muslims a free ride. Using OPM, Muslims have lived the good life. Therefore, it is time for the non-Muslim Malayans to be increasingly Penang oriented. We do have a predominantly non-Muslim government in Penang; and therefore the Chinese and Indians in Malaya should become increasingly Penang oriented.
Where did the Malays come from? If you ask me, I,d venture to say that Malays come from Hindu/Buddhist influence. It all depends on how far back in history we want to go back to. There is strong evidence that all 6.5 billion of us come from Africa. It is not too good to look back too much, anyway. We have to move forward. There are many new things we have to learn in this competitive world of ours. In any case, I have nothing against the Malays who are kind; and I assure you that many Malays are kind.
There is a need to understand that Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, and Unfederated Malay States were slightly different from each other. Penang is part of the Straits Settlements and deserves greater autonomy. The goal of Penangites should be GREATER AUTONOMY. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate closer to Penang because an increase in non-Muslims in Penang results in a decrease in non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaya.
Please make sure you go to the nearest Post Office to register to vote. Please exercise your right to vote.
If you do agree with me, please copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Those who receive it must in turn copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Let’s get the word around to as many people as possible. Let’s see what happens.
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