I refer to the Malaysiakini report Dr M: Sodomy again? Gov’t not stupid.

Shines the moon among the lesser stars. Anwar Ibrahim won the recent debate against the information minister, and there is no doubt about it. Yes, Anwar excels in talking according to Dr Mahathir Mohamad but he fails to realise that Anwar is also a man of substance. Every Malaysian knows this.

He is charismatic and has the intelligence and the facts on economy at his fingertips. Shabery Cheek, despite being a university lecturer at one time, flopped miserably. His moderator, Nordin Kardi, did absolute injustice to the academic world. So superficial was his knowledge that he has brought shame to the academic fraternity. One wonders how this man was appointed to become a vice-chancellor of a university.

Coming to Mahathir’s’ perception on Anwar. A theory may be right or wrong. This depends on how one looks at it. In politics, it is perception that forms a theory. Inferences and conclusions are made through perceptions and politicians often exploit this human weakness to gain momentum in their power chase. Once perceptions are formed against someone, it often becomes entrenched in the mind and is hard to change.

A false issue can be made to be perceived as true, and vice-versa. A false issue drummed into people’s mind repeatedly will make the people believe that it is true. Many politicians have played on this shrewd game throughout the world against their political enemies. Some have succeeded but some have failed, though.

The plot must always be interesting to convince the masses. In some cases, people can get bored when the same plots are designed to dupe others. In some other cases, it will further ensconce the mind if one could exploit on the maxim ‘bad habits die hard’. Thus, the analogy here should not be that of smoking or taking drugs, but it is matter of making the people believe what a politician says – exploiting on the issue that ‘bad habits die hard’.

When a person abruptly appears and says he was sexually assaulted eight times, people would think twice as to why this person did not report the matter after the first sexual encounter. When a young healthy man is sexually assaulted by a grandfather of over sixty-years old, one would also begin to wonder as how could an old man do it and why didn’t this young guy refuse to give in.

When a person is seen mixing with prominent politicians from two camps, then he suddenly claims that he was sexually assaulted by someone from one camp and quickly seen to have sought advice from politicians from the other camp, one would certainly question the motive behind this. The script has become more amusing. The plot has, perhaps, become more thrilling?

There are too many insinuations that can be made and fishy variables unearthed in this plot that makes many wonder whether there is a hidden message to the whole thing. The script, however, would not meet the standard required of a Hollywood movie, I am afraid. It may sell in Bollywood.

If unnatural sexual behaviour is the issue, then the police should spend their precious time rounding up those in some dark lanes and red light areas in our cities where many are seen freely involved in this kind of activity. Some operators of these spots would be happy indeed if the police were to ‘close one eye’ and they can go on doing their trade. Why pounce on one old man with the media quickly turning the whole episode into a carnival of sorts. A sinful character? Or just media exploitation to give a distorted perception to the whole issue?

The motive here is to picture Anwar as the one and only human being in this world who has ‘committed’ this unpardonable act and this is worse than corruption and murder. Why specifically this person and not all those roaming around in the dark and red spots of our towns? How about other sexual sinners in our society?

Again, this whole script sounds a little bit odd to many people and it is quite hard for them to accept the fact that the whole chronicle is not fictitious. Mahathir should not be too judgmental on this issue. He is all out against Anwar the way he is against Abdullah, our prime minister. Only the scripts defer. His perception may not be right, though.

It seems like the script for this Anwar episode must have been taken from another episode which was ‘screened’ to the public about 10 years ago. The success of one episode may trigger the creation of another episode following the same plot but with some changes to the characters. In contrary to Mahathir’s perception, this ‘rerun’ is quite possible. It’s not the matter of whether our government is stupid or not. It’s matter of convenience and perception based on success stories.

Anwar’s credibility was not undermined by him referring to Mahathir’s deed in the past. He said the truth. In fact, he should have said more.

Mahathir was known to be silent on many issues involving his cronies and friends but was spiteful when it came to his enemies. He was playing a Machiavellian political game, that’s all. Never mind if Perwaja went kaput. Never mind the bail over of many poorly managed businesses, including banks. Never mind the manipulation of the judiciary. Never mind if corruption reigns over our society. To Mahathir, all his enemies are always wrong and all his close aides are always right.

Lingam was right, Anwar was wrong. Ian Chin was wrong, Mahathir was right. Samy Vellu was wrong, Mahathir was right, Musa Hitam was wrong, Mahathir was right. Anwar was wrong, Mahathir was right. Pak Lah is wrong, Mahathir is right. Mahathir, to my perception, is a paranoid, the least I can describe of this man.

Yes, people believe Anwar. If he says it is right, even the Western press agrees with him. Mahathir expects the Western press to always agree with him and not Anwar or Pak Lah but this won’t work in reality. Even most Malaysians don’t believe in all that Mahathir says, but he is adamant and wants everyone to only believe in what he says and do things the way he wants them to be done. This is just comical to the intelligent mind.

Mahathir wants Anwar to swear on the Quran on his claim to be innocent. Why must he do so and under whose order? Any ordinary man would ask, ‘Why must he swear when he has done no wrong?’ The onus is on the accuser to prove and not to swear that the accused has done wrong. Swearing alone is not enough. There must be evidence following the syariah law or else this tantamount to fitnah. Yes, qazaf or malediction is still the best solution to this as the common law is too loose on this matter.

People can go round defaming others for some vested interest and this is not fair to the accused. The remedial process in the civil court is too long and every sane human being knows this.

If the accuser in this script is quite willing to do so in a mosque witnessed by religious figures, many others could do the same in this material world. The prisons would then be empty. The judges will be out of jobs and the courts of law will have to be closed down. This swearing business holds no water. A person with means can a pay a prostitute RM1million just to go and swear that she had sex with his sworn enemy. So, can we believe this prostitute?

However, the damage is already done in the eyes of the society when this happens. Going to a civil court for ramification is just like spiting one’s own face for the accused. There is not going to be a short cut solution to it. It will drag on and bring more shame to the accused.

Mahathir quoted the Quran that ‘When ye judge, judge with justice’. Yes, this should be implemented in all courts of justice – syariah and civil. This should have been done during his time as the prime minister and not only now. And VK Lingam too should be advised the same. Lawyers should not write judgements for judges. Lawyers and politicians should not ‘fix’ judges. Judges must act without fear or favour. But, did this not happen during Mahathir’s era? Of course, Mahathir is not happy with the findings of the royal commission on the Lingam’s tape. As usual, he feels that only he is always right and others are always wrong. Again, this is his perception of the whole thing.

Anwar is not trying to escape justice by involving qazaf. He was only advised to do so by many religious figures as they feel that this issue is becoming a bane to the Malay and Muslim society. The judiciary was tainted during Mahathir’s time as what was proven by the royal commission on Lingam tape. Can we trust these man-made laws now? It is truly Islamic not to trust a tainted judiciary if we know that justice cannot be executed in these courts in an impartial manner.

In short, the whole scheme here relating to Anwar’s affair is to shame him, that’s all. We cannot deny that this a political amusement much used in many parts of the world to discredit and despise aspiring politicians. When common sense prevails, one would then come to agree that this is be an effective political game to finish off one’s enemy. This is my perception. I may be wrong, though.