This is not about Anwar. I repeat: this is not about Anwar. It is about Najib’s survival. Najib has seen what happened to Abdullah Badawi. He knows that this will also happen to him as well. And to prevent that from happening he needs to ensure that he is not seen as weak by ‘allowing’ Anwar to walk free. He also must make sure the next GE is not a repeat of the 2008 GE.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
At 4.30pm today (an hour ago at the time I am writing this), the Attorney-General’s Chambers filed at appeal against the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court in acquitting Anwar Ibrahim on the charge of sodomy. At the same time, they also appealed the acquittal of Karpal Singh on the charge of sedition (but that is another story which we shall talk about later).
This morning, I sent out a few Blackberry messages to various friends (some of them lawyers and some of them linked to Anwar) telling them to expect the AG to file an appeal. The AG has until Monday 23rd January to do this and since Monday is a holiday then he should do this at the very latest by the end of today (unless the court is open tomorrow, which is a Saturday).
Most of them were surprised when they received my message. They had assumed that Anwar was acquitted on 9th January for ‘political reasons’ -- to allow Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to ‘prove’ he is serious about reforms and to ‘prove’ that the judiciary is independent and is not subject to government control.
But it is not as simple as that.
Najib would love for this matter to be put to rest. But it is not up to Najib whether the AG does or does not file an appeal. There are more powerful forces at play here. So Najib has no choice but to sit back and allow these forces to do what they want to do. If Najib tries to interfere then he may be the next casualty after Anwar.
That is the bottom line.
First is regarding the slime ball and scumbag AG himself. We must not forget that he was the main player in Sodomy 1 -- the charge that Anwar was also acquitted back on 2nd September 2004. And the AG is also the main player in Sodomy 2.
If the AG allows Anwar to walk free for Sodomy 2 -- just like Anwar did for Sodomy 1 -- then it would be interpreted as Anwar really was fixed up on trumped-up charges and was given a sham trial. So the AG needs to at least get Anwar on Sodomy 2 to ‘prove’ that the charges were not fabricated.
But did Anwar’s acquittal on Monday, 9th January really come as a shock to the AG?
The police permission to hold the Free Anwar Campaign 901 rally on Monday, 9th January 2012 and the very light police presence (compared to that of the Bersih 2.0 rally) gives me the sneaking suspicion that they knew Anwar would be acquitted. They knew Anwar was going to be acquitted and that there would be no riot and that’s why the police stood back and allowed the gathering.
My concern is not that the police knew. My concern is that Anwar himself knew and had told his people he would be acquitted. If Anwar already knew before hand, then why this big show and sandiwara to get 100,000 people to come out in full force on 9th January?
Hence, the AG is not about to allow himself to be told whether he should or should not file an appeal. His credibility is at stake here, if he has any left (incidentally, what people are also saying about me).
Next is regarding the Umno warlords and taikos. If Najib ‘calls off the dogs’, so to speak, he would be viewed as weak. Already, many of these warlords and taikos are saying that Najib is weak and that the ‘3M team’ should take over.
Remember what happened to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the last Prime Minister, when he ‘allowed’ Anwar’s acquittal on Sodomy 1 and did badly in the 2008 general election? Well, that will be the fate that Najib will face as well.
Abdullah Badawi ‘allowed’ Anwar to walk free for Sodomy I and ‘lost’ the 2008 GE. Najib ‘allowed’ Anwar to walk free for Sodomy 2 and will probably do as badly as Abdullah Badawi did come the next election.
That would mean Najib would be ousted by the Umno warlords and taikos, just like Abdullah Badawi was.
This is not about Anwar. I repeat: this is not about Anwar. It is about Najib’s survival. Najib has seen what happened to Abdullah Badawi. He knows that this will also happen to him as well. And to prevent that from happening he needs to ensure that he is not seen as weak by ‘allowing’ Anwar to walk free. He also must make sure the next GE is not a repeat of the 2008 GE.
Najib is jammed between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand he would like to impress the world that he is serious about reforms. And what better way than to instruct the AG to not appeal Anwar’s acquittal? Certainly that would impress Malaysians in the 40% fence-sitters (atas pagar) category. Some might even swing back to Barisan Nasional after their 'protest votes' in favour of Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 GE.
But that will not impress the 30% hardcore opposition supporters who will still vote ABU (anything but Umno). They will still vote Pakatan Rakyat never mind what Najib does or does not do. More importantly though, that will not impress the 30% hardcore Barisan Nasional supporters, in particular the Umno people. Not only will they not vote opposition come hell or high-water but they will turn on Najib and kick him out like they did Abdullah Badawi.
The trouble is with the opposition supporters themselves. They have given the impression that the opposition can’t survive without Anwar. They are saying that Anwar is the main and single factor uniting the three opposition parties under the banner of Pakatan Rakyat. They are saying that Anwar and only Anwar can save this country. That is the death sentence the opposition supporters have given Anwar.
I tried saying that Anwar is not relevant. I tried saying that we must look beyond Anwar. I tried saying that there is life after Anwar. I tried saying that the cause is more important than personalities.
And, for saying that, I have been condemned and cursed.
It is about Anwar. Anwar is crucial. The opposition can’t survive without Anwar. Pakatan Rakyat will break up without Anwar. The future of Malaysia is in Anwar’s hands. Anwar and only Anwar can save the country.
And for that Anwar will have to be finished off. Yes, you, you the opposition supporters. You have made Anwar so important, crucial and critical that the Umno warlords and taikos will leave no stone unturned in neutralising him.
Is this fair? Is this just? Is this humane? In war, love and politics all is fair, in case you have not heard.
Sigh…just when Anwar thought it was safe to go into the water.
This morning, I sent out a few Blackberry messages to various friends (some of them lawyers and some of them linked to Anwar) telling them to expect the AG to file an appeal. The AG has until Monday 23rd January to do this and since Monday is a holiday then he should do this at the very latest by the end of today (unless the court is open tomorrow, which is a Saturday).
Most of them were surprised when they received my message. They had assumed that Anwar was acquitted on 9th January for ‘political reasons’ -- to allow Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to ‘prove’ he is serious about reforms and to ‘prove’ that the judiciary is independent and is not subject to government control.
But it is not as simple as that.
Najib would love for this matter to be put to rest. But it is not up to Najib whether the AG does or does not file an appeal. There are more powerful forces at play here. So Najib has no choice but to sit back and allow these forces to do what they want to do. If Najib tries to interfere then he may be the next casualty after Anwar.
That is the bottom line.
First is regarding the slime ball and scumbag AG himself. We must not forget that he was the main player in Sodomy 1 -- the charge that Anwar was also acquitted back on 2nd September 2004. And the AG is also the main player in Sodomy 2.
If the AG allows Anwar to walk free for Sodomy 2 -- just like Anwar did for Sodomy 1 -- then it would be interpreted as Anwar really was fixed up on trumped-up charges and was given a sham trial. So the AG needs to at least get Anwar on Sodomy 2 to ‘prove’ that the charges were not fabricated.
But did Anwar’s acquittal on Monday, 9th January really come as a shock to the AG?
The police permission to hold the Free Anwar Campaign 901 rally on Monday, 9th January 2012 and the very light police presence (compared to that of the Bersih 2.0 rally) gives me the sneaking suspicion that they knew Anwar would be acquitted. They knew Anwar was going to be acquitted and that there would be no riot and that’s why the police stood back and allowed the gathering.
My concern is not that the police knew. My concern is that Anwar himself knew and had told his people he would be acquitted. If Anwar already knew before hand, then why this big show and sandiwara to get 100,000 people to come out in full force on 9th January?
Hence, the AG is not about to allow himself to be told whether he should or should not file an appeal. His credibility is at stake here, if he has any left (incidentally, what people are also saying about me).
Next is regarding the Umno warlords and taikos. If Najib ‘calls off the dogs’, so to speak, he would be viewed as weak. Already, many of these warlords and taikos are saying that Najib is weak and that the ‘3M team’ should take over.
Remember what happened to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the last Prime Minister, when he ‘allowed’ Anwar’s acquittal on Sodomy 1 and did badly in the 2008 general election? Well, that will be the fate that Najib will face as well.
Abdullah Badawi ‘allowed’ Anwar to walk free for Sodomy I and ‘lost’ the 2008 GE. Najib ‘allowed’ Anwar to walk free for Sodomy 2 and will probably do as badly as Abdullah Badawi did come the next election.
That would mean Najib would be ousted by the Umno warlords and taikos, just like Abdullah Badawi was.
This is not about Anwar. I repeat: this is not about Anwar. It is about Najib’s survival. Najib has seen what happened to Abdullah Badawi. He knows that this will also happen to him as well. And to prevent that from happening he needs to ensure that he is not seen as weak by ‘allowing’ Anwar to walk free. He also must make sure the next GE is not a repeat of the 2008 GE.
Najib is jammed between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand he would like to impress the world that he is serious about reforms. And what better way than to instruct the AG to not appeal Anwar’s acquittal? Certainly that would impress Malaysians in the 40% fence-sitters (atas pagar) category. Some might even swing back to Barisan Nasional after their 'protest votes' in favour of Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 GE.
But that will not impress the 30% hardcore opposition supporters who will still vote ABU (anything but Umno). They will still vote Pakatan Rakyat never mind what Najib does or does not do. More importantly though, that will not impress the 30% hardcore Barisan Nasional supporters, in particular the Umno people. Not only will they not vote opposition come hell or high-water but they will turn on Najib and kick him out like they did Abdullah Badawi.
The trouble is with the opposition supporters themselves. They have given the impression that the opposition can’t survive without Anwar. They are saying that Anwar is the main and single factor uniting the three opposition parties under the banner of Pakatan Rakyat. They are saying that Anwar and only Anwar can save this country. That is the death sentence the opposition supporters have given Anwar.
I tried saying that Anwar is not relevant. I tried saying that we must look beyond Anwar. I tried saying that there is life after Anwar. I tried saying that the cause is more important than personalities.
And, for saying that, I have been condemned and cursed.
It is about Anwar. Anwar is crucial. The opposition can’t survive without Anwar. Pakatan Rakyat will break up without Anwar. The future of Malaysia is in Anwar’s hands. Anwar and only Anwar can save the country.
And for that Anwar will have to be finished off. Yes, you, you the opposition supporters. You have made Anwar so important, crucial and critical that the Umno warlords and taikos will leave no stone unturned in neutralising him.
Is this fair? Is this just? Is this humane? In war, love and politics all is fair, in case you have not heard.
Sigh…just when Anwar thought it was safe to go into the water.
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