Anwar Ibrahim Meeting

Below is the report of our meeting 2nd October

Meeting with Anwar Ibrahim, Tian Chua and Tunku Aziz

On 2^nd October 2010, SIHRG held a focus meeting with three prominent figures in Malaysian politics: Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the opposition, Tian Chua, MP, of the People’s Justice Party and Tunku Abdul Aziz, Senator and currently the Vice-President of the Democratic Action Party. The meeting was chaired by Shubhaa Srinivasan, head of SIHRG Malaysia Working Group and was attended by SIHRG Executive Committee and Malaysia Working Group members, as well as representatives from a number of Associations and NGOs including the Law Society of England & Wales, International Bar Association, Association of Muslim Lawyers, Society of Asian Lawyers and Human Rights Watch.

It was an extremely interactive session which focussed on a number of topics including an overview and update on Anwar’s trial, the political persecution of MPs, the erosion of the separation of powers, Internal Security Act reform, electoral reform and suggestions for coordinating efforts between lawyers and NGOs abroad to put pressure on the Malaysian Government.

Anwar Ibrahim started the meeting with the progress of his current (and second) sodomy trial, which Prime Minister Najib has been trying to play down internationally as a “sexual harassment case”. Anwar is currently on bail and the trial is to be resumed on the 14^th October 2010. He highlighted a number of legal procedures which have not been followed: the Prosecution withholding the witness list and DNA evidence; the Defence having access to a charge sheet and the police report after 6 months into the trial.

As Tian Chua noted, the persecution of Anwar symbolises the current administration’s insecurity towards the increasing popularity of the opposition. He himself had been convicted of being part of an illegal assembly, whilst Anwar is facing suspension from his seat for criticising the Government, a motion which he has been denied the right to respond to. The speakers contend that the opposition are stifled: MPs are routinely arrested; they frequently face court actions; and they have little or no access to the mainstream media, because this is under heavy Government censorship.

The speakers pointed to the erosion of the separation of powers. Anwar commended the first judge, a female Indian-Malaysian, in his current trial who held a strong, independent stance. As a consequence, the Government succeeded in having her removed from the case. Tunku Aziz explained the consequences of the erosion of judicial independence owing to the Mahathir administration: lawyers choosing the judges to hear their cases; biased judicial appointments; judicial careers dependent on the Government. He adds that it is not just with the judiciary; there is corruption at all levels of the police force and little accountability.

The speakers contend that the Government appears to evade much international scrutiny because Malaysia is not a high-risk country, like Burma or Zimbabwe. It is a majority Muslim country with a functioning Parliament, where the military is separate to governance and it has a strong economy. However, there has been some recent international criticism, as Anwar noted Richard Branson’s recent public discord with the Government over his trial, which was echoed to some extent by the Deputy Prime Minister. Jim Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia has also spoken out against the persecution of Anwar.

Other issues which were discussed were the possible ISA and electoral reform. Tian Chua explained the proposed ISA reforms but in fact, the outcome does not change even if there might be more procedural safeguards. In regards to electoral reform, Anwar said that it was critical that Malaysians abroad be allowed to vote and that there is transparency with postal voting, which caused some controversy in the last election.

Towards the end of the meeting, the speakers put forward ideas for lawyers and NGOs in Britain to coordinate efforts to put pressure on the Malaysian Government. One of the biggest hurdles in doing this was the lack of access to impartial and independent information. Anwar spoke of the international support he received through letters, through press statements, as well as the importance of having international observers (such as the International Bar Association and the Australian Bar Association) at his trial. Tian Chua spoke of working with NGOs based in Malaysia to help distribute and disseminate information.

Finally, there appeared to be a thirst for change among the Malaysian people for more accountability in institutions and better government. Tian Chua said that it is this sentiment that gives him and the opposition strength to keep going.

Gemma Amran

SIHRG Malaysia Working Group Member

5^th October 2010