H-Net* Anwar's Trial Update
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AFP News
Witness says feared for life after telling Anwar of
conspiracy
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (AFP) - A former Malaysian ruling
party official told the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial
Monday that he feared for his life after tipping off
the then-deputy premier about a political conspiracy
to smear and topple him.
Raja Kamaruddin Raja Wahid said Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin,
then the political secretary to Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad, was involved in the plot and had
admitted paying people to invent stories about
homosexual acts committed by Anwar.
Raja Kamaruddin, a defence witness, said he tipped off
Anwar after seeking guidance from God. He also made a
statutory declaration and videotaped statement in case
"anything happened to me."
"If you were afraid for your life, why didn't you
lodge a police report?" prosecutor Azahar Mohamad
asked him.
"I did not believe in the police's integrity," Raja
Kamaruddin replied. Applause broke out in the public
gallery and police ejected one person on the judge's
orders.
Earlier Raja Kamaruddin testified that Aziz, now
deputy education minister, told him at a meeting on
June 26, 1998 about moves to destroy Anwar's
reputation so he could never become prime minister.
Anwar, sacked in September 1998 and then detained
after leading mass anti-government protests, was once
Mahathir's heir apparent.
Defence lawyers have said they plan to call Mahathir,
74, to testify on Thursday but the prosecution is
expected to object.
Raja Kamaruddin, a branch leader in Mahathir's United
Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party in 1998,
said Friday that Aziz vetted and changed the letters
in which the allegations of Anwar's sexual misconduct
were first made.
They were written by Anwar's driver Azizan Abu Bakar
and by Ummi Hafilda Mohamad Ali, the sister of Anwar's
former political secretary.
Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan are
charged with sodomising Azizan in early 1993, a crime
punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
On Monday, Raja Kamaruddin said Aziz told him he was
paying Azizan and Ummi Hafilda to make up stories.
"Aziz said there would be no problems from Azizan and
Ummi Hafilda because they were short of money and when
I (Aziz) give them money and ask them to make up
stories and make whatever changes to statements they
have made related to sodomy charges against Anwar,
they did that," he testified.
"Aziz also said the best way to topple Anwar was by
making up charges on sodomy and adultery, and other
matters would not have any such effect.
"His work was to spread whatever stories were made up
by Ummi and Azizan to Anwar supporters so that they
would hate Anwar."
He said Aziz told him he had wanted revenge against
Anwar for a long time.
"Aziz told me, 'Why does Anwar want to become prime
minister? It would be better for Pak Lah (Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi) to become prime minister.'"
Abdullah succeeded Anwar as deputy premier.
Anwar was jailed for six years last April for abusing
his official powers to cover up the allegations of
sexual misconduct. He says he fell foul of a political
conspiracy after threatening to expose official
corruption.
The government denies any plot.
Raja Kamaruddin said he and Aziz also visited the
office of a lawyer named Rais Zainuddin, who told him
to spread stories that Anwar was an agent of the US
Central Intelligence Agency.
After that meeting he decided to tip off Anwar. "On my
way back, I realised that slander was a big sin. I
asked guidance from God ... and I knew I had to go see
Anwar."
A meeting was arranged at 1 a.m. the next day. Anwar
did not press him to take any action but Raja
Kamaruddin said he decided to make a videotaped
confession.
"I was made to understand that Aziz Shamsuddin is the
most powerful man in Malaysia, that he is trusted and
is very close to the PM.
"I made the video so that Anwar could use it if
anything happened to me, if I died or something. I
also made an official report to Anwar about the
conspiracy and also a statutory declaration."
He said he wrote about the conspiracy to Mahathir on
August 15, 1999.
The case continues Tuesday.
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H-Net* Anwar's Trial Update - 16 Feb 2000
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Anwar sends Mahathir message on eve of expected court
appearance
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (AFP) - Malaysia's jailed
ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, set for his first
encounter with the prime minister since his downfall
17 months ago, Wednesday urged Mahathir Mohamad not to
treat an expected court appearance like a party
meeting.
"Tell him this is not the UMNO (ruling party) general
assembly," Anwar said to reporters during a break in
his sodomy trial -- in reference to the premier's
expected appearance in court Thursday to give
evidence.
Judge Arifin Jaka privately met prosecution and
defence lawyers Wednesday morning. Defence lawyers
told reporters Mahathir was still expected to appear
Thursday in answer to their subpoena.
"He's still on for tomorrow," said Anwar's lead
counsel Christopher Fernando.
Asked by reporters what he expected if Mahathir
appears in court, Anwar replied: "Nothing unusual but
I think they (prosecutors) are trying to resist it.
"He's (Mahathir) already saying he will not say
anything about the political conspiracy. Tell him this
is not the UMNO general assembly."
Defence lawyers issued the subpoena last October but
the trial was adjourned during the November election
period since the judge was said to be unwell.
Mahathir said in October he would appear in court if
required but would only answer questions about the
sodomy charge and not about an alleged political
conspiracy, since this was unrelated to the trial.
Anwar was jailed for six years last April for abusing
his official powers to cover up allegations of sexual
misconduct. If convicted of sodomy, he could face
another 20 years.
He says the charges against him were fabricated as
part of a high-level political conspiracy after he
threatened to expose official corruption. The
government denies any plot.
The defence meanwhile said it had confirmed part of
Anwar's alibi against the sodomy charge after a civil
servant testified about a 1993 trip to Europe with the
deputy premier, who was also finance minister.
Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan are
accused of sodomising Anwar's official driver Azizan
Abu Bakar at Sukma's Kuala Lumpur apartment one
evening
between January and March 1993.
Anwar has produced a record of his official
engagements to try to show he could not have committed
the offence.
Mohamad Zaid Ismail, deputy Inland Revenue director,
testified he was part of a delegation led by Anwar to
London, Paris and Frankfurt in February 1993.
Mohamad Zaid initially could not confirm that Anwar
had returned to Malaysia from Europe on February 14.
Fernando told the judge the witness's testimony
differed from what he said in a prior interview, when
he told the defence he knew when Anwar left Europe.
The lawyer said he might have to impeach the witness
-- meaning all his evidence would be struck from the
record.
But after an adjournment to interview Mohamad Zaid
again, the civil servant said he and Anwar were on the
same flight from Europe which arrived in Malaysia on
the morning of February 14.
Anwar's former police bodyguard Zul Aznam testified
about a meeting in August 1997 between the politician
and Azizan, the man he is accused of sodomising.
Zul said Amir Junus, deputy director of the police
Special Branch (political section), told him to notify
Anwar about the meeting.
It was held at Anwar's official residence and was also
attended by Amir, the Special Branch director Mohamad
Said Awang and himself.
"As far as I can remember (Anwar) did not order me to
contact Amir or Mohamad Said to bring Azizan to his
residence," Zul said, adding that he believed the
meeting was on August 18, 1997.
Azizan and Ummi Hafilda Mohamad Ali, the sister of
Anwar's former political secretary, wrote to Mahathir
in 1997 alleging sexual misconduct by the deputy
premier.
On August 24 that year Mahathir dismissed the
allegations as ridiculous and said the writer of one
letter had already retracted the claims.
The trial was continuing Wednesday.
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