Utusan to Anwar: Emulate Turkish leaders and resign

The daily cites how Turkish opposition figures resigned voluntarily after being accused of being involved in sex video scandals.

Utusan Malaysia continues to hound Anwar Ibrahim to leave politics, this time citing how Turkish opposition figures had resigned voluntarily after being accused of being involved in sex video scandals.

Through its weekend paper Mingguan Malaysia, the Umno-linked publication's columnist Awang Selamat said that the Turkish scandal was similar to what Anwar is facing, but unlike the latter, the Turkish politicians stepped down.

This is the second week in a row that Awang's column has urged Anwar (right) to quit politics.

"The Turkish sex scandal exposé was reported on the front page of Utusan Malaysia a few times this week. There is much which we can learn and consider in the context of the scandal (allegedly) involving Anwar.

"Such as in the case of (IMF managing director Dominique) Strauss-Khan... moral responsibility is of paramount importance," wrote Awang, which is a collective pen name for senior Utusan writers.

Recently, at least 10 leaders from Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has resigned from their party positions after video tapes portraying several of their leaders engaging in extra-marital affairs surfaced online.

Remember Sodomy I?

The column continues that despite the authorities claiming that the Carcosa sex video was proven authentic by American and South Korean experts, Anwar is still denying his involvement.

Awang then goes on to explicitly claim that Anwar is the man in the video.

Attempting to buttress his argument further, Awang cites the infamous 2-1 Federal Court judgment that cleared Anwar of his first sodomy charge, that alluded that the alleged activity may have taken place at some point in time.

The contentious part of the judgement read: "...there was evidence to confirm that the appellants were involved in homosexual activities and we are more inclined to believe that the alleged incident at Tivoli Villa did happen (at) some time".

Anwar has attempted to have this portion of the judgement expunged because it suggests that he was acquitted based on a technicality. In the Utusan column, Awang uses this argument against Anwar.

"Awang believes that many people missed this fact. In other words, Anwar is lucky because there were technical weaknesses in the prosecution, causing a failure to establish evidence beyond a reasonable doubt," the columnist said.

'Pakatan image affected'

The author then opined that the two sodomy trials and the latest sex video scandal aimed at Anwar has severely damaged the opposition leader's image.

"If he doesn't step down as opposition leader and PKR advisor, Pakatan Rakyat will make history as the opposition grouping with the worst image in the world," wrote Awang.

The article continues claiming that Malaysia and Muslims from all over the world are embarrassed by the alleged scandals.

"If the people of counties such as Turkey are embarrassed with the acts of their opposition leaders and the international community condemns Strauss-Khan, will Malaysians condone (local scandals)," read the column.

Since the unveiling of the sex video on March 21, Utusan, owned by Umno, had repeatedly insinuated that Anwar was in the video.

It is believed that allegations against Anwar is intensifying in view of the upcoming PAS internal elections, where the former has many allies contesting for party posts.

Anwar is already busy fighting the Sodomy II trial and the new sex video scandal is likely to divert his attention further from consolidating the Pakatan ahead of possible snap general elections expected either by year end or early next year.