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This site is dedicated to persecuted Anwar Ibrahim and his fight to bring true democracy and human rights to Malaysia.
As of January 1, 1999 Malaysia has been run by UMNO, the ruling party headed by Malaysia's prime minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, for about 18 years. Ostensibly a democracy with other minor parties so that to the outside world the country has a thin veneer of democracy, Malaysia is a de facto dictatorship run by Mahathir. Mahathir brooks no opposition to his rule, and any action that appears to be in opposition or lack of agreement to his ideas and policies are viewed by him and his party of cronies as treacherous and seditious.
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Although still healthy and seemingly sane, at 74 Mahathir is reaching the end of his days. He had already selected former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as his de facto successor. In his elder years Mahathir has become increasing recalcitrant, despotic and paranoid, at times on the verge of insane behaviour, with visions of political cloaks and daggers in the shadows out to get him. |
In August 1998 Anwar became concerned that some of Mahathir's policies, particularly with respect to Malaysia's economic position and stability among the wreckage of the Asian economic collapse that began in July 1997, were not wholly appropriate if Malaysia was to rise above the economic problems relatively quickly. Mahathir saw such questioning by he who he had thought a loyal devotee as outright sedition and disloyalty and on the verge of treason.
Anwar began to openly speak at rallies about his views on governance of Malaysia, about bringing about real deomocracy and greater freedoms and human rights. Fearing opposition to his increasingly dictatorial and despotic rule, Mahathir decided to have his new apparent rival destroyed politically and socially.
Mahathir sacked Anwar as deputy prime minister and had him drummed out of UMNO on September 2, 1998. He was arrested on the night of September 20 for several criminal offences, including gross indecency and causing public disorder, on a day in which all hell broke loose after he and 30,000 supporters of his nascent reform movement marched through the streets of KL.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was charged in the Sessions Court on September 29 with five counts of corruption and four counts of sodomy.
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After claiming trial, the 51-year-old former deputy prime minister fired his own charge: He alleged that he was a victim of police brutality while being held under the Internal Security Act, pointing to a swollen eye and bruised arm. He told the court that he was hit on his jaw and eye and "virtually passed out" after one of the alleged beatings by police while he was held in detention. The former Malaysian police chief later admitted in court that Anwar had been beaten by police to get him to "confess". Anwar was beaten senseless by the police. |
Anwar has denied the allegations against him, saying they were politically motivated to destroy his career. The former deputy prime minister and former finance minister was charged under Section 2 (1) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No 22 of 1970 which carries a maximum 14 years imprisonment or RM20,000 fine, or both, if convicted.
The trial of Anwar started on November 2, 1998 and with it not only was he on trial, but all of Malaysia's political system and system of governance. The obviously trumped up charges became increasingly hard to prove forcing the procsecution to "amend" them. With each passing day in court it became increasingly obvious this was only a Machiavellian attempt by Malaysia's prime minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, to maintain his increasingly dictatorial rule through the destruction of his only real rival.
Profile:
Malaysia's Strongman Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad put stability before democracy during his management of
the country's transformation into an Asian economic tiger. He was Asia's
longest-serving elected leader, having been in office for almost 21 years.
On a visit to the United States in May 2002 he said that "democracy for people
who are not used to it can undermine stability, resulting in war". Throughout
his rule Dr Mahathir, 76, took a tough stand against those who opposed him
or threatened his power.
