The burden of proof

That’s why! These lowly educated Melayu from Umno want to try to play psy-war and spin-doctoring. But they don’t know how. Maslan may be the Umno Information Chief but that does not mean he is clever.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Ball is in Anwar’s court, says Umno info chief

(The Malaysian Insider) - Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must prove Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah’s allegations are false following the latter’s exclusive interview withUtusan Malaysia.

(Read more here: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ball-is-in-anwars-court-says-umno-info-chief/)

Shazryl Eskay gave a mere interview with Utusan Malaysia. I signed a legal document, a Statutory Declaration, and my lawyer, J. Chandra, sent it officially by way of letter to the prosecutors in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial.

Going by what the Umno Information Chief said, then the Malaysian government has to now prove that what I signed in that 2008 SD is false. I need not prove what I signed is true -- just like Shazryl Eskay does not need to prove what he said about Anwar is true.

This means the government has to first of all drop the three S.501 Criminal Defamation charges against me (not just ‘discharge not amounting to an acquittal’). Then the government needs to investigate my SD and prove that what I signed is false.

Only when it is proven that what I signed is false can the government, again, charge me -- but this time for the crime of signing a false statutory declaration under S.203.

That’s why! These lowly educated Melayu from Umno want to try to play psy-war and spin-doctoring. But they don’t know how. Maslan may be the Umno Information Chief but that does not mean he is clever.

Remember, back in 1999 Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of corruption and sodomy and was sentenced to 15 years jail because, according to the court, he had failed to convince the court of his innocence.

Get it? Anwar was jailed 15 years not because he was found guilty. He was jailed 15 years because he failed to convince the court of his innocence.

Okay, our laws may be based on the doctrine of innocent until proven guilty. But that only applies to people who suck up to Umno. For those who oppose Umno it is the other way around.

So, can I hear it from the Malaysian government? Are you going to drop the three Criminal Defamation charges against me and, like what the Umno Information Chief said, prove that what I signed in my SD is false?

Then, and only then, if you can prove that what I signed in my SD is false, can you charge me for the crime of signing a false SD. This is what Umno says must be done and I, for once, would be most happy to listen to Umno.