Malaysia's highest court overturned the sodomy conviction of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday and freed him from prison -- exactly six years after his removal from office triggered the country's worst political crisis.
A panel of the Federal Court ruled 2 to 1 to reverse the conviction against Anwar. He was expected to travel to Germany for surgery to treat a back injury stemming from a police beating in 1998.
Anwar was once considered the heir apparent of his mentor-turned-nemesis, then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. But Mahathir fired him, touching off widespread political turmoil.
Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, who succeeded Anwar as Mahathir's hand-picked heir, had been expected to take a softer line toward Anwar and put the divisive issue behind Malaysia after he took office last year.
In his first remarks to reporters, Anwar claimed that the convictions against him had been "highly politically motivated" but that he bore no ill will toward Mahathir, who retired 10 months ago.
"I bear no malice against him. Let him retire," Anwar said. "I feel vindicated. This is all about justice."
Judge Abdul Hamid Mohamad read out the verdict over one-and-a-half hours. As it became apparent that Anwar, 57, would be freed, the prisoner -- wearing a neck brace and confined to a wheelchair -- exchanged excited glances with family members and gave a thumbs-up sign.
"We are not prepared to uphold the conviction," Abdul Hamid said. "We therefore allow this appeal and set aside the conviction and the sentence."
Abdul Hamid said the conviction was flawed because the chief prosecution witness, Azizan Abubakar, had repeatedly changed the dates that he claimed Anwar had had sex with him. Azizan had been the driver for Anwar's wife.
Anwar credited Abdullah -- despite being a long-time rival from their hometown of Penang -- for not interfering with the judiciary.
"You've got to recognize the fact that his predecessor wouldn't have made this judgment possible," Anwar said.
Anwar said that he felt "tired" and would wait for doctors to examine him before deciding his next move, but vowed that he would keep struggling for democratic reforms.
Hundreds of supporters cheered and shook Anwar's hands as he was wheeled out of the courtroom. His vehicle was escorted by police and he was expected to briefly go to his father's home, then to his own house.
Anwar has long claimed that the convictions were rigged to prevent him from challenging Mahathir for power.
"Finally, the courts have found courage which they never had under the Mahathir regime," said observer Param Cumaraswamy, vice president of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists.
Anwar had been jailed since 1998 and had been expected to be in prison for another five years. A separate six-year corruption sentence ran out last year after it was reduced for good behavior.
Despite the ruling, Anwar's future remains a pale shadow of the glittering career before him in the mid-1990s, when his charismatic, modern outlook made him the country's most popular politician.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from