Court decision a good beginning for the judiciary
Published: Sep 2, 2004 5:51 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Expressing joy and relief over the release of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, veteran Malay-language journalist Said Zahari said the Federal Court's decision represented a 'good beginning' for the judiciary to rebuild its tarnished image.
Expressing joy and relief over the release of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, veteran Malay-language journalist Said Zahari said the Federal Court's decision represented a 'good beginning' for the judiciary to rebuild its tarnished image.
According to Said Zahari, the court decision today has 'cleared up doubts and distrusts' against Anwar and has 'restored justice' to his case.
The ex-editor added he had always insisted that Anwar's conviction was a tragedy for Malaysians because it had been 'disputed and condemned' by the international community, including the International Commission of Jurists, an organisation of senior lawyers and judges worldwide.
Said Zahari, who is popularly and affectionately called Pak Said, was detained in 1963 and held for 17 years without trial in Singapore for allegedly being, among others, 'a communist'.
Just before he was detained, he was the editor-in-chief of the Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu and led a journalists' strike against the takeover of the newspaper by Umno.
In a surprise 2-1 decision, the country's highest court today set former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim free after quashing his sodomy conviction.
A three-man bench - consisting of Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Rahman Hussein and Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud - delivered the stunning decision at Putrajaya's spanking new Palace of Justice.
The High Court on Aug 8, 2000 had found Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja guilty of sodomising Anwar's former family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar.
Their application to the Court of Appeal was rejected on April 18 last year.
Anwar has already completed more than one year of his nine-year jail sentence for sodomy, as well as an earlier six-year sentence for corruption.
Flawed judgment
Anwar's appeal on both his conviction and sentencing was made on the grounds that the conduct of the High Court trial four years ago was deeply flawed.
According to presiding judge Abdul Hamid, the evidence of the prosecution's key witness Azizan was uncorroborated.
He said the court had misdirected itself in convicting and sentencing both Anwar and Sukma.
Meanwhile, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy was elated by the decision.
"Finally, justice is done," he said, when met outside the courtroom.
According to Said Zahari, the court decision today has 'cleared up doubts and distrusts' against Anwar and has 'restored justice' to his case. The ex-editor added he had always insisted that Anwar's conviction was a tragedy for Malaysians because it had been 'disputed and condemned' by the international community, including the International Commission of Jurists, an organisation of senior lawyers and judges worldwide.
Said Zahari, who is popularly and affectionately called Pak Said, was detained in 1963 and held for 17 years without trial in Singapore for allegedly being, among others, 'a communist'.
Just before he was detained, he was the editor-in-chief of the Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu and led a journalists' strike against the takeover of the newspaper by Umno.
In a surprise 2-1 decision, the country's highest court today set former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim free after quashing his sodomy conviction.
A three-man bench - consisting of Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Rahman Hussein and Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud - delivered the stunning decision at Putrajaya's spanking new Palace of Justice.
The High Court on Aug 8, 2000 had found Anwar and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja guilty of sodomising Anwar's former family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar.
Their application to the Court of Appeal was rejected on April 18 last year.
Anwar has already completed more than one year of his nine-year jail sentence for sodomy, as well as an earlier six-year sentence for corruption.
Flawed judgment
Anwar's appeal on both his conviction and sentencing was made on the grounds that the conduct of the High Court trial four years ago was deeply flawed.
According to presiding judge Abdul Hamid, the evidence of the prosecution's key witness Azizan was uncorroborated.
He said the court had misdirected itself in convicting and sentencing both Anwar and Sukma.
Meanwhile, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy was elated by the decision. "Finally, justice is done," he said, when met outside the courtroom.
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