Why Kimberley So Kaypoh About Malaysia?

Kimberley argued that the circumstances of Anwar’s conviction were “exceedingly unjust and a flagrant violation of his most basic rights.” In other words, sodomy should not be a crime in Malaysia just like it is not in the US because same-sex relationships are your basic human right.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Kimberley Motley, Anwar Ibrahim’s American lawyer, wants him released from jail (SEE NEWS ITEM BELOW). She also called Anwar a prisoner of conscience although he was jailed for sodomy, which is a crime in Malaysia — just like supporting the Muslim Brotherhood is a crime in the United States (members of the Trump administration have pushed to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organisation) while supporting the Ku Klux Klan is not.

Kimberley warned the Malaysian government that if it wanted foreign investments to flow into Malaysia then the government had better release Anwar. However, when investments from China flow into Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pakatan Harapan will say that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is selling the country to the Chinese. So maybe it is better that no foreign investments flow into Malaysia.

Kimberley argued that the circumstances of Anwar’s conviction were “exceedingly unjust and a flagrant violation of his most basic rights.” In other words, sodomy should not be a crime in Malaysia just like it is not in the US because same-sex relationships are your basic human right.

“If indeed you wish to continue to forge productive economic and diplomatic ties with the US and other countries, then we urge you to remedy this situation immediately. Show the world – that Malaysia truly intends to respect the fundamental dignity and freedom of the Malaysian people starting with Anwar,” said Kimberley.

On 24th July 2015, The Washington Post published a report tiled ‘The staggering number of wrongful convictions in America” that said a study done on how many people are convicted of crimes they did not commit (which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) shows that 4.1% of defendants who are sentenced to death in the United States are later shown to be innocent: 1 in 25.

Maybe Kimberley should focus on human rights issues in her own country first before sibuk or kaypoh about Malaysia. Malaysia has abolished the Internal Security Act but the US detains people without trial using national security as the excuse. And how many people are still under detention?

The ACLU said, “The USA PATRIOT Act creates a very serious risk that truly innocent individuals could be deported for truly innocent association with political groups that the government later chooses to regard as terrorist organizations. There would be no notice.”

The American Bar Association said, “After 9/11 things changed rapidly. In the weeks following the attacks, more than 1200 American citizens and aliens were detained and imprisoned outside the limits of the ordinary criminal law procedures or the Immigration Act. The government refused to make known the identities or whereabouts of any of these detainees at first and later provided such information only as to those charged with criminal violations (a small minority).”

So, yes, look at your own backyard first before commenting about Malaysia and threatening Malaysia that unless the government frees Anwar then no foreign investors will come to the country.

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Free Anwar now, and here are the reasons, says his international lawyer

(Free Malaysia Today) – The government has been urged to “immediately and unconditionally” release Anwar Ibrahim from prison.

Kimberley Motley, Anwar’s international legal counsel said “the urgency behind this request stems largely from the fact that Anwar is currently in hospital as a result of medical surgery that he received”.

Also, Motley said, he had served more than 1,000 days of his five-year sentence for sodomy.

The human rights lawyer said if Malaysia wanted to be well-regarded by the international community, and if it wanted more foreign investment inflows, it should release Anwar, whom she described as a prisoner of conscience.

She also said, in a statement, that any suggestion that the administration of US President Donald Trump had endorsed Prime Minister Najib Razak was wrong.

In March 2014, the Court of Appeal overturned Anwar’s acquittal by the High Court and sentenced him to five years in jail for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari, 30, at the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

On Feb 10 the following year, the Federal Court upheld the decision. With one-third remission, Anwar, 70, should be out of prison in June next year.

Saying that the circumstances of Anwar’s conviction were “exceedingly unjust and a flagrant violation of his most basic rights”, Motley reminded the government that “the world is closely watching your treatment of Anwar Ibrahim and how you respond to requests to release this prisoner of conscience”.

“If indeed you wish to continue to forge productive economic and diplomatic ties with the US and other countries, then we urge you to remedy this situation immediately. Show the world – that Malaysia truly intends to respect the fundamental dignity and freedom of the Malaysian people starting with Anwar.”

The US-based Motley, who was officially appointed by Anwar on Sept 7 to represent him, on a pro bono basis, said: “I understand that it has been suggested that the Trump administration has somehow endorsed Prime Minister Najib Razak subsequent to his White House meeting with the president. This seriously misrepresents the position in America as I understand it.

“There has been serious concern in the US establishment that has been voiced in relation to the continued imprisonment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The US administration has repeatedly expressed concern over Anwar’s imprisonment; as have key US congressional leaders, diplomats from multiple countries around the world, as well as international human rights agencies.”

Motley said it should be noted that Trump skipped Malaysia in his recent Asian tour.

“Perhaps one of the best ways that Malaysia can improve its international standing and the influx of foreign investments, is to unconditionally release Anwar Ibrahim from prison. The continued imprisonment of Anwar severely undermines Malaysia’s credibility as it relates to its respect for human rights which also impacts its foreign relations and economic standing internationally.”

Motley said she hoped to personally raise the matter with Najib “in the near future”.

Last September Motley, the Mrs Wisconsin-America winner in 2004, had met Anwar at the Sungai Buloh prison. Initially, prison authorities did not allow her to meet Anwar. However, she later met Anwar and publicly thanked Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for making it possible.