ANWAR MUST PLAY THE GAME 'RIGHT': Asking for royal pardon does NOT equate to guilt

I was one of the first few who suggested that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim should appeal for a royal pardon.

When Anwar decided strongly against it in Malaysiakini, I was both saddened and disappointed, but I had to accept and respect his decision.

Therefore, when I read yesterday afternoon that both Nurul Nuha Anwar and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had submitted the appeal on behalf of Anwar, I suddenly saw some light at the end of the tunnel.

Let me elaborate why I believe the royal pardon would be the best solution to the current crisis that we, as a nation, are facing. We have come to a political stalemate due to certain quarters trying to put Anwar into prison, and the pro-Anwar camp vowing to stage on protests.

Not necessarily ‘guilty’

I simply do not understand the ‘linear’ thinking that most people, including Anwar, have who say that seeking clemency is an admission of guilt.

In the first place, the Federal Court has already upheld his ‘guilty’ verdict. Like it or not, Anwar is ‘guilty’ - based on the apex court’s decision - which is the reason why he is now serving the prison term.

Most of us who were following the court trial know that there was definitely the political will to pursue the case all the way to the supreme court and to throw Anwar into prison for as long as possible. This, unfortunately, we do not see in other bigger court cases such as the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

My personal opinion is simple: Anwar was ‘fixed’, and although this may not necessarily be a political conspiracy involving the apex court, the verdict by the five judges has definitely raised a number of questions which I, too, find hard to answer.

Others have already raised the questions, and I need not elaborate further but let’s not forget that the High Court had at least acquitted Anwar.

Like it or not, Anwar’s reputation has already been tarnished as a consequence of the Federal Court’s decision. He is ‘guilty’. That’s the verdict. Admission of guilt is not the basis for the royal pardon, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can choose to release anyone for a crime committed or otherwise.

A judicial review may or not be granted, and it can only go either way. I am not sure whether, after being pardoned by the Agong, Anwar could still proceed to file the judicial review, but by all means, I believe Anwar should still proceed to appeal to the Agong for clemency on the basis of what I have said.

It is a clemency, if granted, on the basis that Anwar’s age and his physical ailments would not allow him to be languishing in Sungai Buloh prison, and we all know that it would be too cruel for any regime to even subject the 67-year-old to tough physical conditions in prison. Imagine Dr Mahathir Mohamad being throw into prison!

With his backaches, Anwar may end up sitting on a wheelchair after serving a term of five years. This is one reason why Anwar has the people’s sympathy, something which I have calculated and said before that Anwar’s imprisonment would only lead to a quicker demise of the ruling party. History has many precious lessons that we can learn from.

Clemency, as I see it, has nothing to do with admission of guilt. The royal pardon should be sought for the sake of his physical well-being and to allow him, as the opposition leader, to contribute towards greater democratic space in Malaysian politics.

Unless it is for murder, Sodomy II - whether Anwar did it or not - and notwithstanding whatever the attorney-general said, is not serious as what it appears to be, since the other party, Mohammad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was never charged in court.

In the worst case scenario, Sodomy II is a private episode that could have been dealt with some proper counselling, instead of wasting the court’s precious time. As a nation, we have become the spectre of the world.

We all know that after nearly 60 years, we are still in a conundrum of racial and religious politics, a concern also expressed by the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

We know that the Barisan Nasional regime has failed to create a society that is progressive where race and religion is concerned. Talk to anyone knowledgeable, and you will hear that we are in fact moving backwards, compared to the glorious old days when Universiti Malaya was among the top 10 universities in the world and we were champions in all sorts of sports.

Those were the days when Mokhtar Dahari scored a goal, and every Malaysian, regardless of race, religion or creed, would cheer in front of the television!

Instead, our news space is packed with stories created by scumbags that make no logical sense to the ordinary people like you and I. Even at this juncture, when Anwar’s family has filed the appeal at the eleventh hour, we can be sure that there will be another episode of protest of some sort by certain quarters, who will petition against the royal pardon.

Then, when Anwar is released from prison at the pleasure of the Agong, there will be certain quarters who will still try to tarnish his image. They have already carried out character assassination, even while Anwar is in prison and unable to defend himself.

Anwar should take it that the pardon is at the pleasure of the Agong and he should be allowed to file for a judicial review to clear his good name. Let’s not confuse the two things.

Good for the nation

Anwar’s supporters have vowed that they would fight on. This is a cause for justice that no one will be able to stop, once the flame is ignited (by Anwar’s jailing), despite one senior cop having rubbished it as a bunch of Anwar’s supporters “having too much idle time”.

There are lessons all over the world, when people feel that injustice has been done, it’s not idle time, but the “fire” within the people that drives them to fight for justice. Nelson Mandela (left) was imprisoned for 27 years, but he won at the end of the day.

Mahatma Gandhi took the lead by going into prison himself, followed by thousands of fellow citizens, and this led to the ultimate collapse of the British regime in India, and subsequently, one after another British colony achieved independence. The spirit had also caught on in the then-Malaya.

Aung San Suu Kyi is nearer to home, and she, too, proved that no amount of imprisonment could dampen the spirits of the justice fighters. What make our leaders think that Anwar’s supporters would give up the fight? I sincerely think the game is far from over after Anwar was sent to Sungai Buloh.

By putting Anwar behind bars, what we have today is an aggrieved wife and six children, whom no one will be able to quash once they capture the people’s sympathy! Aung San Su Kyi, daughter of the murdered leader of Burma, has and will continue to carry the torch - and we all look up to her, instead of the corrupted regime that once ruled Myanmar.

Play the game right

Allow me to humbly say that the nation, especially the urban voters, are ‘angry’ not just because of Anwar’s imprisonment but even the latest decision by the Election Commission (EC) to proceed with the public inquiry process for delineation in Sarawak, despite protests from the constituents, is enough to make even me, a non-Sarawakian, angry with the EC.

For the sake of this nation, the powers-that-be would do well if they allow themselves to challenge a freed Anwar on policy matters.

Even if they lost in the next general election, they should accept the reality of the day that people do want change which, sadly despite of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s much publicised slogan ‘Work with me’ or current prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia slogan and all his Transformation Plans have failed to deliver.

If the ruling party continues to cling on to power, by definition, to people like me, they are simply overstaying their hospitality. Sixty years in power is enough for any regime, and the time has come for a change for the better. A defeat is never the end, it is the start of a consolidation of one’s strength in order to take on the challenger in the next fight. This is Sun Tzu’s war logic.

Playing dirty politics will just put the people off, and if the current situation is allowed to continue, it will not be very healthy for our nation. Why can’t we all take a few steps back, re-position ourselves and go back to the drawing board again to strategise on the next big battle to win the people’s hearts?

Does this appear seemingly impossible? Well, nothing is impossible, if there is political will on both sides. We all know that Anwar has offered the olive branch. Naïve or not, I have to ask this direct question to the ruling party - whether they are prepared to let go of power in order to win it back, when the time is right.

Clinging on to power when the sentiments of the people are no longer with you will only cause a bigger backlash, and this is something that most of us would not like to see. We want BN to be relevant, even as the federal opposition, so that if Pakatan failed to deliver, we still have an alternative choice.

A freed Anwar would allow us to ‘stall’ all the protests, candlelight vigils and street rallies, planned or unplanned, which Anwar’s supporters have vowed to carry out in the months to come. I, too, would not hesitate to participate in some of these events just to study the people’s sentiments and understand what motivates people to go all out for one man.

It appears to me now it’s the muskeeters at work: one for all, and all for one!

Instead, more legitimate platforms could be used for both sides to battle out their ideologies to see who the ultimate winner is. The people expect the ruling party to have leaders who can debate intelligently, but sadly, during the last general election, the debate between Najib Abdul Razak and Anwar did not materialise.

That, after all, is the people’s aspirations since the turn of this century, judging from the numbers that turned up during Anwar or other Pakatan ceramahs during the last two general elections, and over the last three Bersih rallies. Use of force will just sour the relationship between the government and the people, and should be best avoided.

As peace-loving Malaysians, we should also try to prevent another bloodbath, which I have said time and again, it will no longer be one race against another, but the silent majority against a few troublemakers. Instead, we should encourage more intellectual debates and sharpen our minds (listen, o ye politicians!) to battle out in the people’s courts. - M'kini