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Anwar arrest a black eye for Malaysia
THE arrest of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was a black eye for Malaysia. It showed how paranoid the leaders are about the former deputy prime minister's political potential in the weeks and months to come.
That paranoia was heightened when Anwar appeared on a televised debate on the current oil prices. He did well, and declared that he would stand for election and intended to form a new government by midSeptember. This kind of confidence does not augur well with the political uncertainties after the March 8 political tsunami, especially for the ruling National Front or Barisan NasionaL
The arrest has once again raised questions of the credibility of the Malaysian police force, who arrested Anwar before he was due to report on the same afternoon.
When he was incarcerated back in 1998, he was beaten by a police chief. The photo of him with eyes bruised was seen around the world. The injustice has haunted Malaysia's dynamic image ever since.
Friends of Anwar were outraged when he faced the same charge in
1988. US Senator Joseph Biden Jr. has called on Kuala Lumpur not to repeat past mistakes in prosecuting Anwar, urging Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to drop this attack on an opposition member.
He said that the spectacle of Anwar's mistreatment and imprisonment on transparently political grounds greatly discredited Malaysia in the eyes of the world.
Anwar has said that as prime minister, he would improve relations with neighbouring countries, especially Singapore. Anwar also has lots of friends in Thailand, which he has visited frequently. He understands the southern situation very well and has offered to help. He said the Thailand-Malaysian friendship could be strengthened through confidence-building and other measures to resolve the violence in the south.
Because of his conviction. Anwar was banned from holding political office. The five-year ban expired two months ago. He was behind the victory of the opposition in the last polls, which has given rise to expectations of a new government that will be more transparent and open. So he
is planning to run for office soon.
The timing of the allegation was apparently aimed at disrupting the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, and its ascension to power. Anwar said that he would become Malaysia's next prime minister by mid-September through a byelection.
Malaysian politics is full of intrigue, especially among leading Malay politicians. Several critics have already said that Anwar's chances of realising his dream of becoming prime minister are slipping away quickly.
The ruling parties are not giving up their fight. Pro-government newspapers have ridiculed Anwar and his actions throughout.
Now that Deputy Prime Minister Najib is the prime minister-in-
waiting, he still has a lot to prove because he has lots of baggage. Prime Minister Abdullah, who was recently under siege, has now regained his composure and moved on.
More debates focusing on Anwar's case and Najib's suitability would allow Abdullah extra time to run the government and manage the growing economic crisis at home. The decisive factor will continue to be Malaysian voters, who still dictate the future political direction of the country.
The National Front is trying harder these days to woo them back But with myriad issues vying for public attention, Malaysian politics will never be the same.
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