Aussie senator calls Dewan rights panel a koala court

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR: A senator from Australia today blasted the Malaysian Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee as being worse than a kangaroo court for allegedly deciding to suspend Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim from the Dewan Rakyat without allowing him to defend himself.

Nick Xenophone, an independent senator, made his criticism following a leakage of information to the media that the committee had made its decision and would table it next Wednesday.

“I'm sure you are familiar with the term kangaroo court,” he told reporters covering Parliament. “Well, this is worse than a kangaroo court. It’s a koala court."

Xenophone, who is a lawyer, is in Malaysia to monitor the ongoing Sodomy II trial, which may result in the imprisonment of Anwar.

Anwar got into trouble with the rights committee for accusing Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak of employing a public relations company with links to the Israeli regime.

Anwar, who sat beside Xenophone during the press conference, said the committee, in refusing him space to defend himself, had failed to uphold "something basic".

It is likely that the Speaker will suspend him for six months, which means he will miss the first half of next year’s parliamentary proceedings.

This setback comes at a time of intense speculation that the Najib administration will call for early polls, probably in the first quarter of next year.

Anwar is battling for his political survival as he faces the sodomy trial, his second in ten years. He claims that the Barisan Nasional trumped up the charge in a bid to end his surging influence.

Watching with interest

Xenophone said the international community, including Australian lawmakers, was monitoring the trial closely.

"Australia and Malaysia are great friends,” he said. “They are old friends. My message is that when you are good friends and old friends, you need to tell each other the truth.

"Anwar Ibrahim's trial has raised much concern in Australia about fairness or the lack of it.”

He described Anwar as a well-respected figure whom Australians consider as a "champion of democracy".

"This has prompted Australians to watch the ongoing trial with keen interest," he said.

Barisan Nasional supporters are likely to regard Xenophone’s comments as foreign interference in domestic affairs. They held street protests when Australian MPs signed a petition asking the government to drop the case against Anwar.

Leaders from the ruling coalition will probably also use this as campaign material against Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat.

They have lately been accusing the opposition leader of carrying out an international campaign to “badmouth the country”, but Anwar supporters say his criticisms are directed at the ruling regime. - FMT