A five-member panel of judges of the Federal Court had unanimously rejected Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal to review his 2014 sodomy conviction, yesterday. This failed final bid for an acquittal led Anwar having to serve the remaining 16 months of his five years jail term.
Anwar Ibrahim, the 69 year old Malaysia’s charismatic opposition leader was convicted of sodomizing a former aide and sentenced to five years in prison and barred from politics, effectively ending his ability to challenge the party; Barisan Nasional that has ruled the country for almost 60 years.
"This is not a fit or proper case for this court to exercise its inherent jurisdiction to initiate a review," Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, the Chief Judge of Malaya, said as he read excerpts from a 60-page ruling. The five-member bench led by Justice Zulkefli ruled there was no bias or procedural unfairness in the decision of the previous Federal Court panel.
Anwar and his supporters have claimed the charges were politically motivated in an attempt to end his career. They had maintained the judiciary as being biased not independent and corrupt. His team of legal practitioners had worked their brains overtime, throwing every trick on the book and efforts to discredit the judiciary when it does not favor their client or the cause.
He has mocked the rule of law and the Judiciary in his quest for power and authority quest, more often than not. He had even dramatized a critical medical condition. This is indeed a long walk to freedom. One should ask, is Anwar serving his jail term of the crimes he committed as any other jailbirds?
No comments:
Post a Comment