your say'From his testimony from the dock, Anwar has obviously given up hope of obtaining justice from the court. He is preparing for the worst.'

Anwar gives statement from the dock

AnonymousXYZ: When the testimony from the witness stand would have been more credible as it is subject to cross-examination, Anwar Ibrahim chose to testify from the dock where he cannot be cross-examined. How can people be blamed if they say, "berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah"?

That's the first thing that comes to mind when you don't want anything you say to be challenged. Fear of self-incrimination cannot be an excuse.

As Anwar is the leader of the parliamentary opposition, anyone would have expected him to have all the necessary verbal skills to defend his testimony and the courage of conviction to do so.

As it is, his vehemence outside the court about a so-called political conspiracy does not appear to be matched in court by a wholehearted desire to go all the way to defend himself. Has he been receiving poor legal advice?

Wira: Consider this again - Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan gave his own semen sample and someone sprinkled Anwar's DNA (from Sodomy l where Anwar's DNA sample was taken) on it and reinserted that into Saiful's anus.

The chemist took the semen sample from Saiful's anus and found both Anwar's and Saiful's DNA. Since the sample was taken from Saiful's body, it is assumed that Saiful's DNA is a contamination.

Remember in the course of the trial how easy it was to detect DNA. You can get that from a towel, toothbrush and hair. In the trial, DNA detection shown was based on either presence or absence. No data on the concentration of such DNA were given.


'Come what may, I shall never surrender'

Anticommunalist: Anwar, you disappointed a lot of your supporters from Abim and PAS that you chose to join Umno as you wanted to change Umno from within. However, there were no changes seen during your era of Umno.

You claim to have been powerless to stand up to Dr Mahathir Mohamad but you chose to remain silent about it for fear you would have lost your position of power within Umno and government.

Indians were systematically marginalised during your era. The Education Act was passed during your time and Tamil schools were denied fully aided status and you just sat back idly and did nothing about it.

Ashwin: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly," so said Martin Luther King from Birmingham jail in 1963 after having led street protests against racial discrimination of the Blacks.

We can add "Injustice to anyone is a threat to justice for everyone."

Yes, Anwar Ibrahim made an error of judgement to try to make changes from the inside, from within Umno.

There was nothing wrong with that. Now, having failed, he is trying to bring about changes from the outside. Of course, then as now, there are elements of politicking involved in his moves. But, that's political reality.

The ills of the Indian community cannot be laid on the laps of Anwar Ibrahim alone. Yes, he could have done more. But the Indian leadership and the community as a whole, including this writer, need to take the brunt of the blame for our sorry state of affairs.

Ferdtan: From his testimony from the dock, Anwar has obviously given up hope of obtaining justice from the court. He is preparing for the worst. In Sodomy I, he went full length with patience and with earnest hope that he could have been vindicated in the end.

It was only after the end of the unbelievable guilty verdict and many instances of unfair judgments that he did gave a mouthful to the judges, particularly at the late Augustine Paul.

The present presentation of giving statement by Anwar at this early juncture reminisces his Sodomy I closing salvo, hitting at the federal judges during the Federal Court appeal in 2002. It was led by then Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, Federal Court judge Haidar Mohd Noor and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Shim.

Quote from him: "Never have the cowardice of so few been such a horrendous betrayal of the hopes of so many."

When it was time for the judges to leave, a court police officer ordered, "Bangun!", but there were a few people remained seated, refusing to stand up as a mark of respect.

Alan Goh: Bravo, YB DSAI (Anwar) for your clarity and simplicity in presenting your defence from the dock. It was one hell of a presentation, outling in details, step by step, how Saiful but ended up having dinner at then DPM Najib Razak's residence with his wife, who both are too scared to appear as defence witnesses.

Anniyan: DSAI, do not surrender to injustice no matter how strong it is, fight with all your might, end of the day. The bias courts can only incarcerate you but the rakyat will judge you ... truth will prevail.

 

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