by Ralvin Manikam
The last time Anwar Ibrahim was jailed in 1998, it sparked a furious political uprising that took the nation by storm, the likes of which have hardly been equalled in the decades that followed.
This morning, the guilty verdict was once again handed down to Anwar – this time, he will serve a five-year sentence in Sungai Buloh prison. Will history repeat itself in the form of another “Reformasi” movement?
From the crowd that showed up at the Palace of Justice to support the Opposition Leader on judgement day today, the disappointment is palpable, but the tone is not the same as it was then.
If 1998 saw angry mobs and fervant youths facing off with FRU officers and water cannons, the mood in 2015 is far more subdued, if controlled. Over 2,000 supporters showed up at the court house, besides thousands of others who have attended the various “countdown” events in the run-up to the verdict.
Frustrated as the people might be with the ongoing political antics, the fervour of revolt is not quite in the air.
“Political fatigue” is a term that has been bandied about to describe the ambivalence surrounding the long-drawn out criminalisation of the man who would claim to be Prime-Minister-in-waiting. Instead, today he was hauled off in an unmarked police vehicle, to be imprisoned and shut away from his yearned-for political destiny.
Droves of supporters had tears in their eyes, while others furiously yelled “Bebas Anwar!” (free Anwar) after the fateful verdict was made known.
One supporter, who wants to be known only as Ian from Kuala Lumpur, told the Rocket that he was just twelve years old in 1998 when Anwar was unceremoniously deposed as the Deputy Prime Minister, and when the Reformasi movement was birthed.
“Unlike my friends at the time, I had a strong anti-establishment spirit. He (Anwar) is the reason that I am interested in politics in this country,” he said, adding that the guilty verdict could lead to victory for Pakatan Rakyat in GE14.
Clad in an anti-Swastika t-shirt, the private equity dealer and was one of the many youth who joined the anxious crowd outside the apex court as early as 7am this morning.
Others, like Universiti Malaya Student Union President Fahmi Zainol, said that verdict would make students lose confidence in the judiciary.
“I believe that the students in the country would see that as days go by, the state of the judiciary is worsening.”
“I truly hope that DAP, PAS and PKR can unite and work together to steer Pakatan Rakyat towards Putrajaya, despite the conflict within the coalition,” said a dispirited-looking Fahmi.
The conflict that Fahmi alluded to speaks volumes for Anwar Ibrahim as the de-facto leader of the opposition, is seen as the only leader capable of making both DAP and PAS see eye to eye with respect to the coalition’s common goals.
Fahmi had previously been fined and suspended for two semesters by University Malaya for organizing a talk featuring Anwar Ibrahim in the university. He expressed doubt if there are any other leaders capable of leading and influencing the Mahasiswa (university students) the same way Anwar could.
It is not the end
We also spoke to Anwar’s eldest daughter and MP for Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar. She expressed concern whether or not her father’s physical body would be able to keep with his mind and spirit.
At the age of 67, the charismatic Anwar is still one of the most outstanding orators in spite of his age – capable of charming the crowd of all ages with wit and energy unsurpassed even by the more youthful politicians of Malaysia. However, his body and health is not infallible, especially given his back problems and previous health issues.
“It’s not easy for us (Anwar’s children) to see him at 67, having to spend time behind bars,” Nurul Izzah told The Rocket.
She called Malaysians to remained focused on the journey ahead of Pakatan Rakyat, urging also DAP, PAS and PKR to be emboldened further by the loss of its leader, and surge ahead to capture Putrajaya.
“It is not the end; far from it.”
“I think they (the government) might want to see us in despair, disappointed, but they are going to find a surprise.”
“Lawan tetap lawan!” she assured the crowd, a Pakatan call to action that means – keep up the battle.
Another PKR leader, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli felt that the verdict was not particularly surprising, saying that he and other opposition leaders were hounded by text messages half an hour before the verdict was read.
“We were receiving text messages saying that Anwar has been found guilty, and that we should rempuh (crash the barricades set up by the police).”
“This is not something that could be orchestrated by a macai (UMNO supporter), but by someone who has access to the telcos and authorities. This means that they were prepared to fitnah (defame) us, and to take action in case of a conflict,” said Rafizi.
Rafizi asserted that this was a political conspiracy to end Anwar’s career, something that the Pakatan Rakyat leadership have repeated during all his sodomy trials.
“This script was written as far as three years back,” he added.
Behind bars, Anwar would still be PKR’s leader
When asked if there would be a new leader for PKR, Batu MP Chua Tian Ching said Anwar was still the leader (pemimpin agung) of the party despite being put behind bars.
“He is still our leader (pemimpin agung) even in jail, what is wrong with that,” he told reporters that there was going to be no discussion on a successor for Anwar following the court’s decision.
The Pakatan Rakyat leadership council is expected to meet within the next few days to decide on the question of leadership and direction of the coalition in light of the Anwar verdict today. Speculation is rife on who would be the likely candidate to fill the post of Opposition Leader.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission will announce the vacancy for the Permatang Pauh seat vacated by Anwar’s disqualification as MP due to his conviction. Bernama reported that the EC would announce it within 10 days of receiving the official notification from Dewan Rakyat.
Tian Chua, who is also the Vice President of PKR said that the verdict was yet another episode where the Barisan Nasional regime demonstrated that it would infringe upon the rights of the people.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders have repeatedly said that this was an attempt to end Anwar’s career, a view shared by NGO Human Rights Watch who stated today that the conviction was politically motivated and a major setback for human rights in Malaysia.
“Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government has persisted in its politically motivated prosecution of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the expense of democratic freedoms and the rights to non-discrimination and privacy for all Malaysians.”
“Allowing this travesty of justice to stand will further undermine respect for rights and democracy in Malaysia,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director at Human Rights Watch Asia. -The Rocket
