Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling
Jaya
on Tuesday, 29th July 2008:
Top Cabinet agenda tomorrow – end sodomy of Malaysia’s
international reputation NOW so that we would not be dumped in the
dubious company of Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Sudan
The top agenda for the Cabinet tomorrow must be to wrestle with
probably the nation’s worst global crisis in the 51-year history of the
nation and end the sodomy of Malaysia’s international reputation NOW so
that we would not be dumped in the dubious company of Zimbabwe, Myanmar
and Sudan on the rule of law, transparency and good governance.
The very fact that the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar last
week had to give a special briefing on the sodomy investigation against
Anwar Ibrahim to 96 foreign diplomats on very short notice is the best
proof of the national and international crisis of credibility faced by
the present administration over the Sodomy II allegation against Anwar
as well as the handling of other high-profile investigations.
The latest development in the Sodomy II allegation against Anwar - ten
years after his Sodomy I charge which was later overturned by the
Federal Court – as well as recent events, such as the disappearance of
private investigator Bala Subramaniam after making two conflicting
Statutory Declarations within 24 hours with far-reaching implications
about the independence and integrity of the rule of law and system of
justice can only heighten and intensify these national and international
concerns.
The police response to Internet revelations of a medical report
concerning the accuser of Anwar’s Sodomy II charge, Mohd Saiful Bukhari
Azlan - that there was no evidence of sodomy four hours before he lodged
the police report of sodomy against Anwar on June 28 - has only
confirmed national and international doubts about the independence,
integrity and professionalism of the police handling of the case and
strengthened belief in Anwar’s innocence.
In dismissing the revelation of the medical report as “another attempt
to sabotage police investigations” and threatening to go after the
whistleblowers, while studiously declining to comment on the existence
and veracity of the Pusrawi Hospital medical report, Deputy
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has done a great
disservice to police reputation and professionalism – as he had merely
added flame to fan national and international conviction about the
authenticity of the medical report.
Added the disappearance of the Burmese Muslim doctor who examined Mohd
Saiful on June 28 and authored the medical report, Dr. Mohamed Osman
Abdul Hamid and his family – in eerily similar and disturbing
circumstances reminiscent of the disappearance of private investigator
Bala Subramaniam with his family after his two Statutory Declarations
within 24 hours which totally contradicted each other – Malaysians and
the world are left wondering whether Malaysia is going the way of
Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Sudan with regard to rhe rule of law, transparency
and good governance.
The Cabinet Ministers cannot and must now hide their heads in the sand
like ostriches to pretend these disturbing events do not exist if they
are not to be dismissed, albeit uncharitably, as nothing but a “Sodomy”
Cabinet.
They should also prove former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir wrong
that they are merely “half-past six” Ministers.
The Cabinet must stop Malaysia’s slide down the slippery slope, and let
heads, however high or mightly, roll if this is the only way to salvage
Malaysia’s international image and reputation and return to the company
of nations whose rule of law, system of justice and good governance are
acknowledged as international exemplars.
Let the Cabinet take the first step to end the nation’s slide down the
slippery slope in its meeting tomorrow and move on to put the country
back on proper tracks, including “all-systems go” to unite the nation to
face a looming economic crisis with an ambitious but long-overdue
national reform programme.
If the Cabinet cannot rise up to the occasion to address the national
crisis of confidence which has got very much worse in the past five
months since the March 8 “political tsunami”, then it should just resign
and go.
*
Lim
Kit Siang, DAP
Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor
http://dapmalaysia.org