The Trials of Anwar Ibrahim
Sixteen years ago, in 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was first accused of indulging in sodomy. It happened when Mahatir bin Mohammad was prime minister, and at a time when Malaysia’s immense economic growth and development had impressed the world. His Malay nationalist party - UMNO - was treading a fine line between secularism and the influence of Islam, and its success in doing so was touted as a textbook example for Islamic states to follow. Anwar Ibrahim was a well-known face among UMNO party members. Prior to his appointment as deputy prime minister, he also assumed the roles of Minister of Culture, Minister of Finance, and also held positions in the party’s highest echelon. Above all, he was a henchman, a loyal supporter of a party that never lost a national election since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
The accusations came when Mr. Ibrahim’s illustrious UMNO career abruptly ended. After being sacked by the Mahatir administration in 1998, Anwar Ibrahim became an outspoken critic of the UMNO leadership, and founded a movement determined to crackdown on corruption and an essentially one-party political system. His untimely arrest and out-of-the-blue sodomy charge derailed these efforts. He was faced with a nine-year prison sentence.
Needless to say, Anwar’s supporters began to speak out against the ruling UMNO, and viewed the accusations as a politically motivated scandal. Western leaders questioned the ambiguity of the evidence. Ethnic minorities perceived the government as authoritarian, and its political agenda corrupt. What UMNO failed to anticipate was a societal awakening during which UMNO came under intense public scrutiny as decades of political malpractices were unearthed.
The trials of Anwar Ibrahim continued. After his release in 2004, Anwar was placed under the spotlight when his male aide accused Anwar of sodomy. This lead to Anwar seeking temporary refuge at the Turkish embassy, a hefty bail and overnight detention. His second sodomy trial began in February 2010, and took two years before being acquitted due to a lack of corroborative evidence.
Last week, Anwar began his third trial after the Malaysian high court overturned the 2012 acquittal. Earlier this year, Anwar was given a five-year prison sentence, but continued to be free-on-bail for seven months. Anwar Ibrahim’s fate now rests on Malaysia’s judiciary. At 67, Anwar Ibrahim is still the liberal voice for Malaysia’s victims of corruption and social injustice. Faced with a charge that could result in up to twenty years of imprisonment, Anwar has resolved to prove his innocence.
While questions have been raised about Anwar’s testimony, very few deny that these accusations were politically motivated. Human Rights Watch representative Phil Robertson observed that “the government was prepared to jump through whatever hoops were necessary” to keep its political threat at bay. Amnesty International, along with U.S. and Australian governments, condemned the charges.
Indeed, the trials have come to question just how democratic Malaysia is. In addition to Anwar’s tribulations, the government has dealt with a series of widespread anti-corruption protests in major cities in the past decade. Known as Bersih 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, protesters called for fair elections in 2007 and 2014. The police response was excessive at the very least, and lead to the arrest of 1,700 peaceful demonstrators in 2011. With recent stains in its civil society, Malaysia’s murky case against opposition figures only adds to its shade of shame.
While Anwar awaits for his latest verdict, the Malaysian government knows that a prison sentence would only anger UMNO’s opposing political factions. It would be wise for Najib Razak and Malaysia’s judiciary to understand the crossroads his country is in - between reform and conservatism, the people’s cautious optimism and growing disillusionment - before making their move.