Jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim today criticised the judges who quashed his appeal against a sodomy conviction as being 'quite spineless'.

His wife and Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who quoted her husband as saying this, added that Anwar felt the decision showed that the junior bench of judges were specially selected.

Appearing calm and composed, she reiterated to the 300-odd supporters who had gathered outside the Court of Appeal building that the case was political in nature.

"This is a political case. It is a political prosecution because o­n the counts of law, we would have won the case.

"There would not even have been a case against Anwar. It is quite telling the way the judges read out the decision citing no grounds at all," she said, amid shouts of encouragement from the supporters.

Earlier, when news filtered out from the court that the application had been rejected, supporters gathered outside were stunned into silence.

However, when Wan Azizah appeared several minutes later, the crowd began to chant 'Reformasi'

Anwar was convicted in 2000 and sentenced to a nine-year jail term for sodomising his wife's driver, Azizan Abu Bakar. His adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja, was also accused of the same charge.

In addition to the appeal rejection, the court this morning also revoked bail for Sukma, Anwar's co-accused, who was also appealing against a conviction o­n the same charge.

Sukma is to start serving his six-year sentence today. He will also receive four strokes of the rotan

Bail application pending

Met outside the courthouse later, Anwar's counsel Karpal Singh said the court will reconvene later this afternoon to determine whether an oral application for Anwar's bail can be made to the bench of judges.

"We are applying for bail pending an appeal to the federal court. The court will have to decide whether an oral application can be made and heard or whether there ought to be a written application," he explained.

Karpal expressed dissatisfaction with this morning's proceedings, saying, "All the judges did was to set out the different arguments and then made a general decision that the appeal is dismissed, which to my mind is quite wrong.

"This is a case where reasons ought to have been given for every point put up. We expected that...this prosecution should not even have taken place given the evidence by Azizan Abu Bakar whose credibility is nil," he stressed.

Next appeal

Asked if oral applications for bail were a common practice, Karpal said based o­n past precedence, such applications have been made and approved without objections from the prosecution team.

"This is not o­ne of those cases where bail ought to be (rejected). This is not a capital offense case. Bail has been allowed even in the murder case involving (senior lawyer) Balwant Singh. I can't understand why the prosecution should object to bail being allowed," he said.

On Sukma's situation, Karpal said the decision of the judges to revoke bail was unusual as it was done without an application by prosecution lawyers, which was the normal practice.

"The judges themselves revoked it. This is quite wrong. In fact, bail should be extended since he has been o­n bail since his conviction by the High court. I don't see any difference between now and (the time when) his appeal is made to the Federal Court," the lawyer added.

Karpal said Anwar has not yet given up hope to have his conviction and sentence overturned, and will continue to pursue other channels available - the final step being an appeal to the Federal Court.

"We intend to go further. An appeal (to the Federal Court) will be filed afterwards. We will be appealing against the conviction and sentence confirmed just now by the Court of Appeal," he said.

Hangover from the past

Anwar's brother, Idrus Ibrahim (left), roused the crowd's sentiments when he addressed supporters outside the court building.

"The shadows of the past is still here. The court in fact did not make a real decision today. They o­nly read out our arguments.

"The judges initially did not want to accept our application for bail but we have insisted for the application to be submitted today anyway," he said.


Two other opposition party leaders who were present also criticised the judgement.

DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang (left) told reporters that the rejection of Anwar's appeal was "a general disappointment".

"It indicated that we have not fully recovered from the hangover from the past."

Meanwhile, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) president Dr Syed Husin Ali (right) said that the decision marked a "shameful day" for the judiciary.

"This shows that the courts and the judges serve o­nly their (political) master," he said, describing the atmosphere in the courtroom as o­ne of "suppressed sadness".