Smut video: Call in third-party experts

In my opinion, there are two issues to the airing of the smut video. We must separate the issues. One is a possible criminal offence of airing for public viewing, pornographic material. It must be in contravention of some act.

If it is an offence, the people behind the airing of the video must be punished. It doesn’t exonerate the sponsors by claiming they wanted to just show it to one or two persons, but so many have turned up. This is the eggshell-skull rule perhaps. Having made the bed, you now lie in it? If the people sponsoring or showing pornographic material do so in contravention of a criminal offence, then they must be arrested, charged or whatever. The patriotic motives claimed are irrelevant.

If they are charged, fined or whatever, that is the price they pay for wanting to bring out the truth.

But more important, I think we should not misdirect ourselves from appreciating that the offence of airing the smut video is less important than wanting to establish the identity of the ‘actors’ in the video.

Surely Anwar Ibrahim, the person alleged to be the male ‘actor’ wants to clear his name and IF he can prove that it is not him, he will have in his possession, the most lethal Katyusha rocket to blast Najib out of Putrajaya. On the other hand if his adversaries can clinically and factually establish that he is the ‘actor’, that will be the end of him.

Those who were present during the smut video’s airing must also be liable to some criminal offence. The editors from several MSM, The Star and NST who were there must be held accountable. If someone were to categorise the airing of the smut video as an act of heroism, his/her head needs to be examined. Does one show one is patriotic by promoting a smut video? Therefore one is heroic?

UMNO people don’t have to get involved in this. Rahim Thamby Chik and Shuib Lazim did the thing they did on their own accord.

UMNO has distanced itself from the actions of these individuals. They have said they have nothing to do with the video. They have said so and whether people believe them or not, is not a problem. UMNO can’t do anything about people who don’t believe them anyway.

Now that the Police are already involved, let’s urge the Police to establish the identity of the persons in the video — both male and female. We now urge the police to call in expert witnesses such as from the FBI or Scotland Yard. Let third parties do the forensics. This way, the Malaysian Police can save themselves from the ignominy of being accused of conspiring to persecute a particular person. Take away the thunder from whoever is accused of being the ‘actor’. Avoid being accused as a bully.

The main issue is to identity the male ‘actor’. Now that a video has been shown, surely those who have an interest in that video have standing to defend it. They do so by making a police report. Anwar Ibrahim is the person alleged to be the male ‘actor’. So in the interest of defending his honour, he has made a police report.

Making a police report is one thing. Getting to the root of the issue is another. He has probably lodged a report against the three people who sponsored the airing of the video by claiming a variety of offences. I hope he is successful. If he is, we are still left with the question of is it him or is it not him? Has he made a report urging the Police to conduct an investigation to identify the actors in the video? What is the nature of his report? Report against the three people? Report urging the Police to conduct an investigation to clear his name?

There seems to be only one way to verify the identity. Call in the best experts in this particular field from FBI or Scotland Yard. The Malaysian Police may want to do this. It will be done by a third party whose credentials are beyond reproach. In that way, the Police can steer away from being accused of tampering with the evidence and other cock-and-bull accusations. Anwar should welcome a forensic detailing by third-party independents. Otherwise, ask him to bring in his own experts and let the people judge his intentions.

After that, the findings by third-party expert witnesses can be handed to a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Bring it before Parliament and ask the opposition to nominate who they wish to be on the commission. That way, the government washes its hands of the smut video issue.

Politically, this smut video is a godsend for UMNO. Provided it handles this properly. Handling it properly means don’t get involve at all. Let the police do their work. Support the calls to bring in the best experts in the world. Pass on the findings of the experts to the RCI. Get opposition MPs to nominate from their ranks, members of the RCI. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul
Aziz. He was the assemblyman for Pulau Manis (2004-2008).