‘Sex slave’ my words, Shafee admits in post-Sodomy II case talk

© Provided by The Malay Mail Online Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah confirmed that he had used the words ‘sex slave’ in his public talk as they were not to be found in the judgment of the Federal Court that had last February 10 convicted…KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — Prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah confirmed today that the “sex slave” descriptor was his own and not part of the apex court judgment on PKR politician Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II case last year.

Under cross-examination in his defamation suit at the High Court here, Shafee agreed he had used those words in his public talk after the case was over when they were not to be found in the judgment of the Federal Court that had last February 10 convicted Anwar of sodomising his former aide.

“My words, otherwise I would have just read the judgment word for word,” he said during cross-examination on excerpts of his speech.

This prompted defence lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan to say: “Perhaps that would be better.”

“Then why go at all,” Shafee retorted.

Ambiga was quizzing Shafee on his comments at the February 17 forum organised by Umno, where the latter had claimed that Anwar and his aide were allegedly in dominant and subservient roles respectively and had said “he treats him like a sex slave”.

Today was the second day of hearing before High Court judge Datuk Hanipah Farikullah for Shafee’s defamation suit against the Malaysian Bar and three lawyers.

In his lawsuit, Shafee had named as respondents senior lawyer Tommy Thomas; former Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri VC George who has since returned to practice as a lawyer; the Malaysian Bar; and its former president, Christopher Leong.

Tommy and George had respectively proposed and seconded a motion for the Malaysian Bar annual general meeting (AGM) last year to censure Shafee’s conduct following Anwar’s sodomy conviction.

Among other things, the motion claimed that Shafee had violated the legal profession’s rules which prohibit lawyers from publicising themselves, while also saying that his conduct was “morally reprehensible and legally unacceptable.”

The motion accused Shafee of holding press conferences condemning Anwar, who could not respond as a convicted prisoner, drawing attention to his prowess allegedly as a top-rate prosecutor, demeaning Anwar and his legal team, and the way the defence was conducted.

Shafee was also accused of giving interviews to the media on his performance as prosecutor as well as organising and participating in nationwide roadshows with a political party, with the purpose of insulting a convicted prisoner and for bringing attention to his role in the conviction.

The motion urged the Malaysian Bar to pass a resolution to condemn Shafee’s behaviour, also urging the incoming Bar Council to lodge a complaint with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board and to take further steps in order to prevent Shafee from “continuing to bring the legal profession into disrepute.”

On February 10, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s conviction of Anwar for sodomising his former political aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, also retaining a five-year jail sentence on the PKR de facto leader.