Vain Najib paints himself into a corner, dooming BN with an Anwar 'guilty' verdict

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II trial has cast a long shadow over the nation’s political landscape for the past three years.
Coming hot on the heels of the 2008 general election that swept Pakatan Rakyat into power at five states, Anwar was accused of sodomy by a 27-year-old male aide in June the same year. The timing and execution of the charge, including the role played by Prime Minister Najib Razak, gives clear indication that a political ploy had been sprung to deny Pakatan Rakyat more leeway come GE-13.
And what better way than to target the head of Malaysia's first meaningful opposition. Indeed, the writing is on the wall and many, including Anwar himself, is expecting a guilty verdict come January 9, 2012.
"The process has not been fair. This is not a fair trial and we have adduced enough cogent, compelling, incontrovertible evidence to support that," Anwar told reporters after the trial ended. "Having said that, we are still hopeful that sanity will prevail and the judge will decide based on the facts and the law."

No difference
Indeed, Anwar is prepared for a jail term. One that he is not unfamiliar with; having spent 6 years in jail before he was acquitted of sodomy and released in 2004. A Sodomy II guilty verdict could see Anwar spending a maximum of 20 years in prison, which many believe would spell the end of his political career.
"It doesn't make a difference -- in jail or outside, I will fight for justice," Anwar said.
With or without a guilty plea on Anwar, the days for Barisan Nasional as Malaysia's ruling coalition are numbered. In the years from 1997 to 2008, no one ever gave the opposition a chance of surviving the BN's mighty and slick machinery.
But not only has Pakatan survived, it has blazed a trail. Never-before-achieved performances were recorded by the Selangor and Penang state governments. Latest polls show Pakatan ahead of BN in several states, including Perak and Selangor.
Vanity will ensure Najib orders a 'guilty' verdict
The political tsunami of 2008 was not simply a victory for Pakatan Rakyat. It was a revolution put in place by the people of Malaysia. Of the 11 million registered voters, 7.94 million cast their votes during GE-12.
Of this number, 4.08 million voted BN and 3.79 million voted Pakatan Rakyat. In other words, 4.08 million Malaysians helped to keep the BN as the government of the day, whilst 3.79 million voters returned Pakatan in five states. This trend should be reinforced in more-or-less the same numbers in GE-13. The political landscape has changed since 2008 and favors Pakatan Rakyat, more than BN.
When one adds the Anwar factor to this simmering mix of public discontent towards the BN, the scales once again tips heavily towards Pakatan. To Umno and BN,  Anwar remains  an enigma.Their problem with him is two-fold. Should they slap on him  (1) a non-guilty verdict, or (2) a guilty verdict? Actually, whichever they decide, the outcome will be the same.
A non-guilty verdict enforces the point that the whole trial was a politically motivated attempt aimed at cutting off the head of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It proves that the Barisan Nasional government has taken the people of Malaysia for a ride and unearthed the depth to which the party has sunk in order to cling to power.
The aggressive campaign to paint Anwar as a non-credible candidate for the prime minister of Malaysia would back-fire. A non-guilty verdict would seriously dent the credibility of arch rival Prime Minister Najib Razak, for the Sodomy II was launched the moment Najib “advised” Saiful Bukhari Azlan (Anwar’s accuser) to lodge a police report. And because of this, Najib - known for his vanity and braggadocio - has no choice but to see the game to the end.
A hero and a savior thanks to Najib's ill-advised strategy
Yet, a guilty verdict would in turn make Anwar Ibrahim a political icon on par to Nelson Mendela. A figure seen as a victim of a government seen as increasing corrupt and oppressive, willing to go to great lengths to silence its critics. It will further boost the stature of Anwar and the mystique that surrounds him.
He would be a hero and Najib the villain, and a foolish one at that. The chances for BN to lose GE-13 would be heightened tremendously. Call it karma, but what goes around comes around. A spiteful bid by Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor to shackle Anwar with false charges may well result in the couple being hounded out of Umno for losing the party its long-held federal government.
It will add to discontent rising in Malay as the latest Global Financial Integrity Report shows Malaysia as now being the 4th most corrupt nation in the world, after China, Mexico and Russia. Within Southeast Asia, Malayisia is the most corrupt having suffered illicit outflow of funds of USD338 billion for the period 2000 to 2009, compared to next most corrupt neighbour, Philippines which suffered illicit outflows of USD131 billion.
Indeed, many Malaysians will question if Anwar is guilty, then what about the many other politicians still at large who continue to squander public money, including Najib himself? As they say, those who live in glass houses like the Umno warlords, should not throw stones. The image smearing campaign by the BN government would have back-fired and cause many more to support the cause of the opposition in Malaysia.
Scorn of the global community
Leading British daily The Guardian predicted Anwar would soon become a victim of “egregious, politically suspect injustice” in a reference to his grossly skewed sodomy trial. In a scathing commentary, the UK daily even urged Malaysia’s western allies in the UK and US to “take a closer look at their friend.”
The daily argued that the Najib government’s handling of Anwar’s “highly dubious” sodomy charge warranted closer scrutiny of the country’s democratic practices. Among others, its editor SimonTisdall sniped at Najib for his “authoritarian tendencies” and “blatant political scaremongering”, even accusing the Malaysian prime minister of lacking in originality for recycling the sodomy charges against Anwar and being accustomed to wielding power due to his family lineage of top political leaders.
“If Anwar is found guilty — and the trial judge seems to have made up his mind already — he will not be the only or even the most important victim of an egregious, politically suspect injustice. Malaysia’s democratic reputation will have been critically wounded, and for that outrage, Malaysians will have their prime minister, Najib Razak, to thank,” Tisdall said.
Even without Anwar, Pakatan is a million times better than BN
A guilty verdict for Anwar would spell doom for BN. Times have changed in Malaysia since the days of 1997. Then, Anwar stood alone against the might of the BN machinery. Today there are other opposition leaders who are equally as capable as Anwar, even if they may not be as charismatic.
However, you look at it, a Pakatan even without Anwar is a million times better than BN - regardless of whether Najib, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin or Mahathir Mohamad rules at Umno.
No, putting Anwar in prison does not kill the movement for reform, instead it will accelerate the Malaysian people’s aspirations for reform and change. Sorry to say this, but foolish Najib has again painted himself into a corner.