Jail ‘not difficult’, says Anwar

By Debra Chong

December 15, 2011

Anwar, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, leaves the courtroom after the end of his sodomy trial in Kuala Lumpur on December 15, 2011. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — Having spent six years behind bars once, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim vowed today he will continue his fight for justice whatever the sentence.

“It doesn’t make a difference, in jail or outside, I will fight for justice,” the opposition leader told reporters at the end of his Sodomy II trial today.

The former Umno politician, who helped found Keadilan, said he had undergone prison life and found it “not difficult”.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, was convicted on twin charges of sodomy and corruption in 1999 and was jailed for six years until the charges were reversed.

However, the 64-year-old grandfather signalled that his statement should not be seen as defeat.

“It’s not a question of volunteering to go to jail. For what reason?

“Because I decided not to rejoin Umno, because I decided to fight them for their racist and unjust policies?” he said.