Sodomy II: By now, more people believe in Anwar than Najib

Sodomy II, considering the manner in which it has dragged on and for such an eternity, isn’t an open-and-shut case as many hopefuls in Umno have been deluding themselves into believing.

An open and shut case would have been over in the shortest time possible and either ending in acquittal, without the defence being called, or with a quick conviction.

Shift in balance of probabilities

The longer Sodomy II dragged on, the more it became evident to the entire world that the balance of probabilities had shifted in favour of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, the accused.

His accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was coming across more and more like someone who wanted more than the proverbial 15 minutes of fame or notoriety which everyone is entitled to have during their lifetime. He had a key role to play in a high stakes power game and all he had to do was to put his ass – pardon the pun – on the line. But more on that in a while.

Having said that, it must also be conceded that Anwar’s goose was cooked the moment the Judge declared that his accuser has proven himself to be a credible witness.

To add insult to injury, the Judge refused to recuse himself over his controversial remarks and apparent bias.

Surely this must be unprecedented in the annals of the history of Judiciary anywhere in the world.

Benchmark from the past!

Of course there’s that infamous Malaysia-linked case in Hong Kong sometime ago where an about to retire Judge did not take down any notes at all during an extended Trial over several years – busy drawing cartoons instead while pretending to hear the case – and at the end of it all, he freed the accused without giving any reasons whatsoever. Needless to say, the written grounds of decision did not follow at all, for obvious reasons.

So, the prosecution was effectively prevented from appealing against the acquittal of someone who appeared as guilty as hell but was, fortunately or unfortunately, linked to various high-ranking personalities back home in Malaysia.

The Judge was quickly bundled into early retirement and obscurity in England but with his pension and all his retirement benefits and privileges intact.

Perhaps the Judge had already made up his mind even before the case began. It was more than likely that a deal was struck on the case between the UK and Malaysian Governments on a “Let me make a deal with you. You do something for me. I do something for you” basis.

Behind the scenes wheeling and dealing

The Hong Kong case illustrates the kind of wheeling and dealing that can go on behind the scenes in a case like Sodomy II which has nothing whatsoever to do with justice for a victim and enforcing the law, but everything to do with a shameless bid to stave off and delay as long as possible the inevitable loss of political power.

Something little know to the wider public is that the Judiciary has a vested interest in the state, and in this case, meaning the ruling party which has become synonymous with the state after having been in power beyond the eight to ten years possible in a system with checks-and-balances.

In Sodomy II, the Judiciary will be more inclined to lean towards the state which is synonymous, after more than half a century, with the ruling Umno.

Anwar’s lawyers, nevertheless, made the right decision by advising him to make a statement from the dock. In taking this big risk which staved off needless cross-examination questions, one cannot assume that the prosecution will take the position that a spanner has been thrown in the works.

The AG Chambers itself has been divided on Sodomy II indicating that there are still a few decent men and women around at that miserable excuse for politically-motivated persecutions.

Sycophants laugh all the way to the banks

That said, Sodomy II has been a Golden Opportunity of sorts for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the government machinery and apparatus to jump on the bandwagon to please their political masters.

The rewards are rich and ripe for the picking. Sodomy I was an example, dubious as it is, where it’s speculated that a good many people laughed all the way to the bank.

Sodomy II is like lightning striking twice in the same spot.

After Sodomy II, there will be no Sodomy III unlike in Hollywood where there can be any number of sequels on celluloid.

Once – Sodomy I -- is accident, twice – Sodomy II -- is co-incidence, thrice – Sodomy III would be deliberate.

In any case, Anwar is too old to face Sodomy III. In the Hindu way of thinking, the government is God Number 2 on Earth, a place where the God up in the heavens will not interfere.

Plastic sodomy

The speculation in the public sphere is that it was a case of deliberate self-sodomy with a plastic device. The fact that such a theory should be making the rounds reflects more than a suspended belief in the so-called victim’s claims.

The victim himself, it’s being pointed out, has a lot to gain from the case, at least in terms of a windfall bankrolled by vested interests.

There’s sodomy and sodomy. The laws in the country against sodomy are so archaic that it’s hardly, if ever, used. That doesn’t meant sodomy is not going on all the time.

The Biblical injunction tells it all: “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” This statement should be directed at all those who have been pontificating sanctimoniously on the issue of sodomy.

The self-sodomy theory aside, the most intelligent guess among bloggers is that the “victim” was suspected by the inner circle in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) of being an Umno plant.

Suspicion probably led to discovery when the 16 Sept People’s Revolution, a sure thing according to Wikipedia, was crushed at the 11th hour. The mole fled just in time but to return with vengeance stage-managed by the hidden hands behind the scene.

A man is innocent until he’s proven guilty. It’s better to let a thousand guilty men go free than to hang an innocent man.

Malaysia Chronicle