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